Try Me
by smc-27
Summary: AU LP. She needed a place to live, and he had an extra room. Maybe they were crazy to think it would all just be that simple.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Am I starting another story when I have two on the go already? Yes. Am I crazy? Probably. But I have about 15 chapters of this written. This idea has probably been done before, but hopefully I can bring a little something different.

Totally AU. Lucas/Nathan/Haley's stories are all the same. Peyton grew up with Brooke and Jake in a different town. I don't think there's anything else that needs to be explained. Back stories will be told within the first few chapters. Any questions, just ask.

**----**

From the first day they met, they knew they'd get along wonderfully. Standing in front of the bulletin board on the courtyard at UNC, she was laughing a spirited laugh at a hand written apartment posting, and he was groaning at yet another fraternity flyer.

He didn't really take any time to look at her, since he was in a horrible mood, and she seemed a little crazy, the way she was laughing loudly to herself.

"You'd think in a college town, you'd be able to find a decent place to live," she said suddenly, turning to him.

"You'd think," he said simply, running a hand through his short hair.

"I lived with my best friend for my first three years, but she just moved to New York," she explained. "Unfortunately, our apartment was paid for almost entirely by her parents."

"I lived with my brother, and sister-in-law and their son, but my brother skipped his last year, so I'm pretty much homeless in about a week," he explained.

"Awesome," she muttered sarcastically. "I'm Peyton."

"Lucas," he said, offering her hand out for her to shake. "What are you studying?"

"Art and art history," she said, holding up one of her textbooks on European portraiture. "You?"

"Literature and creative writing," he said. "We're both double majors."

"I just love art," she said, waving off his attempt to make it sound more impressive than it was.

"I just love books," he said with a smile.

He kind of regretted thinking she was insane for laughing. She actually seemed like just a funny girl. A genuinely funny girl. And what he'd learned in the time since his last serious relationship, was that genuinely funny girls were hard to come by.

"You wanna...I mean, if you have time, we could split on a newspaper and grab a coffee. Check apartment listings not posted by vain, boy-crazy shopaholics with daddy's credit card and mommy's vapid personality?"

He just chuckled at the picture she'd painted. She certainly had a way with words. He could tell she was an artist.

"Or beer-swilling, fledgling loser students in their sixth year of a four year program?" he added, making her laugh. "Lead the way."

She walked a pace ahead of him for a bit, and he took a moment to observe her clothing. It was casual, but not too casual. Dark jeans and black boots, and a simple grey tank top. She had a laptop bag slung over her shoulder, and she was clutching a portfolio. He found himself wondering what her art looked like.

"So Lucas, tell me something about yourself," she insisted as he caught up with her and walked beside her.

"What do you want to know?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders.

The truth was, his story was long and unbelievable to most. The few people he'd told didn't believe him, and so he'd eventually stopped telling people. It was alright with him, he decided. The people who needed to know, knew. He tended to be a little closed off, and though he'd promised his best friend that he'd be more open. Whoever this Peyton girl was, she was the first person he was opening up to. Haley would be proud, though he was sure she meant that he should join a writer's group or a rec basketball team. Instead, he was talking to a stranger who he was finding more and more interesting by the second.

"I dunno," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Anything."

"Um...I grew up in a little town called Tree Hill, on the coast," he explained.

"Tree Hill? No way!" she cried. "Like the U2 song!"

"Sort of," he laughed. "You a U2 fan?"

"God no," she said with a grimace. "Not at all. Can't stand them."

"Me neither," he said, laughing at how forward and honest she was being. "What about you? Where are you from?"

"Wilmington," she said simply. "Born and raised."

She turned to look at him, and noticed the crooked smile on his lips. She'd promised Brooke she'd meet more boys, even though she already knew plenty, and she didn't want to let her friend down. She hadn't really looked at Lucas. She'd only noticed that he had blonde hair, just a little bit lighter than her own, and a healthy stubble on his jaw line. He was wearing a plaid button down and jeans, with a messenger bag over his shoulder that she assumed housed a computer, given his field of study.

"Tree Hill's only about a half hour from there," he said with a smile, almost amazed that they'd grown up so close together.

"I've never heard of it," she admitted.

"Most people haven't," he informed her, pulling open the door to the coffee shop they'd both somehow known they were heading for. There were a few on campus, but this one was his favourite. "What's your poison?"

"Vanilla latté, no foam," she said, dropping her bag at a vacant table and reaching for a newspaper from the rack. "Thanks."

Lucas was kind, she decided. Kind in a quiet, almost shy kind of way. It was almost as though he didn't want to tell her anything, and she completely understood that. She was careful with the information she let people in on, too. Hometown and her dislike of U2, she could handle divulging.

Her phone rang in her bag, and she reached for it just as Lucas returned with their drinks. She saw the name on the screen, and decided to ignore the call.

"So have you been looking for a place for long?" he asked, watching as she took a sip of her latté and closed her eyes, savouring the taste.

"Since the beginning of August," she explained. "I went home for the summer, but Brooke's place is paid for until October. I just kind of thought I should get out of there before her parents realize I'm still loafing."

"I thought you said she's your best friend," he said with a furrowed brow, unsure of why the other girl's parents would have a problem with her staying there.

"She is, but her parents hate me," she said, almost sadly. "Her mom's a bit...a bit of a vain, vapid shopaholic."

He could only laugh, because he could see, even more, why she didn't want to live with someone like that.

"I was home for the summer, too. My lease is up on the 15th, and I don't need a three bedroom house all to myself," he said. "Nathan and Haley were home for the summer, but they just moved to Atlanta."

"What's in Atlanta?" she asked with interest.

"That Atlanta Hawks," he said proudly, locking eyes with hers to gauge her reaction. He was met with confusion. "My brother is Nathan Scott."

"What!?" She was wearing a huge smile and her green eyes went wide. "That's amazing!"

"It's...something," he laughed.

Nathan and Haley had gone to Duke together, where Nathan played three amazing years of college ball, leading his team to two championships. When the opportunity to enter the draft came up, his decision to leave Duke sent shock waves through the school, though everyone understood his desire to play pro a year early if he could. Haley transfered to a university in Atlanta to finish her degree, and she'd be going to school while he was playing his rookie season.

"Well, my best friend is Brooke Davis," she said smugly.

"Who?" he asked cluelessly.

Right. He was a boy. Boys don't know or care about fashion designers and successful clothing lines.

"Brooke Davis. Clothes Over Bros? Moderately priced, stylish clothing for the masses?" she offered, kinking her brow as she waited for something to click with him.

"Oh yeah, I think Haley's into that stuff," he said absently. He was sure this Brooke girl was impressive, but he couldn't say that fashion was an area of interest.

Her phone rang again, and Peyton checked the caller ID, once again hitting the ignore button.

"Seems like someone's trying to get ahold of you," he pointed out as he opened the paper.

"Not as important as trying to find a place to live," she said, trying to brush off his comment.

Truthfully, she knew that if she had answered her phone, she would have had to leave, and she was kind of liking getting to know this guy. He was interesting, in an unassuming way. She got the impression that there was a lot more going on in his head than he was letting on, and she found that completely intriguing.

They sat in relative quiet as they read through the pages of apartment listings. Anything in her price range was in a poor neighbourhood or a building she knew she hated. She didn't want a roommate that she didn't know or trust, and she was getting frustrated at not being able to find anything. She didn't know that Lucas was feeling the exact same way.

"Nothing!" he said in irritation as he closed the paper and dropped it on the table.

They'd finished their drinks and were just sitting together, and though he'd known her for less than an hour, it felt fairly comfortable for him. Maybe it was because he didn't feel like she was trying too hard. She wasn't giggling or flipping her hair like a lot of the other girls did. She was just...honest.

"I know," she sighed, shaking her head. Her phone rang for the third time, and she watched as Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Sorry. I should probably answer this time."

"No problem," he said casually.

She got up and walked to an empty space near the wall about 10 feet away. He picked up the paper again to keep himself occupied, but he couldn't help overhearing her.

"Hey...No, I was just busy, that's all...Yeah, we're still on for tonight...No, I'll meet you there...I'll just meet you there!...I can drive...No, I'm not drinking...Because if it's lame, I'm leaving...OK, I'll see you later."

He was running a hand tiredly over his face when she sat down again, smiling weakly when she dropped her phone onto the table, a little too harshly.

"Sorry about that," she mumbled.

"Boyfriend?" he asked nonchalantly. He wasn't jealous, he just wanted to know more about her, and it seemed like a decent place to start.

"Something like that," she said vaguely, making him narrow his eyes and tilt his head. "There's this party tonight at his friend's place."

"And you don't want to go? The first big party of the year, I bet," he pointed out, leaning back in his chair and clasping his hands behind his head.

"I kind of hate parties," she said, almost groaning at even the thought of going. "I'm so over that whole scene, you know? I wouldn't even go, but..."

"The boyfriend? Or something like that," he said, winking at her as she rolled her eyes.

"Why don't you come?" she offered politely. "I'm sure it'll be awful."

"Tempting offer," he laughed.

"Come on," she pleaded. "I won't know anyone if you don't come. Mike's an engineering major."

"Ugh," Lucas groaned, "those are the worst."

"Thanks for doubting my taste!" she cried with a laugh.

"No, I didn't mean it like that," he amended. "I just mean that a whole party of them sounds like pretty much the last thing I'd want to do with my Friday night."

"Me too," she said, leaning forward. "Which is why I need you there to entertain me, so I don't lose brain cells as they try to build bridges to scale out of beer cans."

"Did that actually...?"

"Last weekend," she said seriously. "The Brooklyn Bridge made out of Bud cans isn't _quite_ as pretty."

He laughed, and then sighed, and then looked at her once more. She was biting her bottom lip in anticipation of his response and looking at him hopefully.

So maybe one party wouldn't be that bad. And he liked this girl. The longer he sat with her, the more he was starting to really believe that they could be friends. And he certainly couldn't let her suffer through this evening alone. He wasn't sure why that was. But he was young, and going to parties on Friday nights was what he was supposed to be doing.

"Alright," he said after a moment. "I'll come."

"Really?" she asked excitedly.

"As long as that won't cause any problems with your something-like-that boyfriend," he teased.

"No," she laughed, then held out her hand, palm up. "Give me your phone."

"Give me yours," he said, pulling his from his pocket and placing it in her hand. He reached for hers across the table and began keying in his number. "What's your last name?"

"Sawyer," she said absently as she saved her number in his phone. "Where do you live? I'll pick you up."

"You don't have to do that," he insisted.

"It's fine," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. "If I drive, you can fake sick or something and we can leave if this thing is totally lame."

"Oh, I see. So I'm your _excuse_," he pointed out as he squinted.

"If I need you to be," she said seriously. "Then yes." He flashed her a grin that she was sure made a lot of girls swoon, and she checked the time. "OK, I should go. I have some reading to do before this thing. Just um...text me your address and I'll pick you up at like, 9:30."

"Sure," he said with a nod, watching as she gathered her things. "Sounds good."

"See you later, Luke," she said sweetly.

He offered a wave and a smile, and wondered how she'd gone from being a perfect stranger, to using the shortened form of his name in just over an hour.

**----**

**A/N:** Let me know what you think of the first chapter. It was kind of a prologue. I promise things will get more interesting.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Wow. You guys are amazing. I really didn't expect to get so many reviews for the first chapter. I'm glad you are all liking how this is shaping up.

A couple people mentioned that Peyton seemed to open up pretty quickly. Well, Peyton's not going to be quite so...damaged (that seems like such a harsh word!) in this story. She's still going to be the Peyton we all know and love (you will see a little of that in this chapter).

**----**

When Lucas got home after meeting Peyton, he slumped down in his favourite chair in his living room, and he just looked around his home. It was his _home_. He'd lived there for three years, and had memories. He knew he wouldn't be there forever - it was only a rental, after all - but he didn't want to move yet, and he certainly didn't want to move when there was only 8 months left of school.

Jamie had taken his first steps in that living room, and said his first words in the kitchen. Lucas had finished a first draft of his novel sitting in that very chair. He just didn't want to leave.

He fixed himself some dinner, and texted Peyton, as he said he would, before laying down on the sofa with some soothing music and a book he'd read five times before, and he waited for the knock at the door.

He wasn't entirely sure what to expect from his evening. He didn't know Peyton well enough - at all - to know what kind of people she'd hang out with. And to be honest, he was a little nervous that her 'something like that' boyfriend would question why she was bringing a near perfect stranger to this party.

But, he rationalized, they were young, and taking perfect strangers to parties was what they were supposed to do. College guys, he'd learned, were pretty happy-go-lucky after a couple beers anyway, and he might even make a couple acquaintances.

He didn't bother changing - his jeans and plaid button down would suffice - or checking his hair. He wasn't that worried about appearances, since he really had no one to impress.

But his heart still raced a little bit when the doorbell rang.

He got up and jogged to the door, pulling it open to see Peyton standing there, in the same clothes, he noted, that she'd been wearing when he saw her earlier that day.

"Come on in," he said with a smile, moving aside so she could step in. "I just have to grab my wallet and stuff."

"Listening to Damien Rice," she said with an appreciative nod. "Good choice."

"Glad you approve," he said as he tucked his wallet into his back pocket and his phone into his front pocket.

"And reading_ As I Lay Dying_," she observed, picking the book up off the coffee table. "One of my favourites."

"Really?" he asked in surprise.

"Totally," she said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Hard to believe?"

"A little," he admitted with a smile, so as not to offend her.

"Ready to party, Lucas?" she asked jokingly after peeking at the clock on the wall above the fireplace.

Fireplace? Damn, this was a nice house, she observed. Tastefully furnished, well laid out, in a great part of town. It was too bad he'd have to move.

"Lead the way," he said, gesturing towards the door with his arm.

He stepped onto the porch and locked the door behind him while she walked to her car. And he wasn't sure if he should have been surprised or not, but her car was a classic. An old convertible that had probably seen more road than he could even imagine.

"Nice," he said appreciatively as he slid into the passenger seat. "'63, right?"

"That's right," she said, clearly impressed by his knowledge.

"My uncle had an old shop," he said with a shrug. "I worked there when I was in high school."

She didn't respond, because she wasn't sure what to say. So she just drove.

She'd spent all the rest of her afternoon after meeting Lucas reading for her classes the following Monday. She didn't really know what the weekend was going to bring, and she wanted to be prepared. She'd made dinner and talked to Brooke briefly, conveniently leaving out the part about meeting the interesting blonde guy in front of the bulletin board on campus.

She hadn't changed, because she wasn't really trying to impress anyone. Mike was a jeans and tee shirt kind of guy, and she didn't really know what kind of guy Lucas was, nor did she necessarily care. Not that she didn't care about his opinion, she just hardly knew him. She wasn't ever the kind of girl to dress a certain way for a guy, and she wasn't about to start.

And she didn't get the impression that Lucas was judgmental whatsoever. He was pretty quiet, and pretty funny, and pretty relaxed. She liked that.

"So where is this party, then?" he asked, draping his arm over the back of the seat and turning his body to hers a bit.

"Not far," she said vaguely. "Thanks for coming with me, Lucas."

"No problem," he said sincerely. "Better than sitting at home listening to Damien Rice and reading Faulkner for the fifth time."

"I doubt it," she said honestly. She glanced over at him momentarily, and he could tell she was totally serious.

She was quickly becoming one of his favourite people.

----

It was a relatively small house party, with only about 50 people milling around, wandering from room to room and holding red or blue plastic cups. Offensive commercial rap music was thumping through the house, and Peyton shot Lucas a look to let him know, in no uncertain terms, that she wasn't a fan of the scene.

"Have a beer," she insisted, but he shook his head. "Luke! It's a party!"

"One beer," he said seriously, holding up his index finger, but his smile stayed in place.

They meandered through the crowd to the kitchen, and Peyton passed Lucas a bottle, smiling at him as he opened it. She, true to her word, wasn't drinking.

"Peyton!" a deep, masculine voice called, making her turn around.

"Hey, Mike," she said with a smile before the tall, dark stranger leaned in and kissed her heatedly.

"Mike," she muttered in protest, pulling away after a moment. She tasted, already, too much beer on him, and his actions were supporting the suspicion that he'd already had one to many.

"What?" he asked with a clueless smile.

"This is Lucas," she said, turning back to the blonde she'd brought.

"Hey man, I'm Mike," he said, extending his hand.

"Good to meet you," Lucas said as the two shook hands.

"Have a drink, babe," Mike said, turning back to Peyton.

"I told you, I'm not drinking," she reminded him, doing her best not to be annoyed with him.

She really hated when he did this. It wasn't that she was against drinking, but she certainly didn't drink and drive, and she didn't drink when she didn't want to, no matter who was trying to tell her that she should.

"Come on, one drink," he pleaded.

Something about this guy was unnerving to Lucas. He just didn't seem like the kind of guy she'd go for. Mike was everything Lucas hated about engineering students. All the clichés. Drinking and partying and, though he was jumping to a conclusion, it seemed like he only studied when he needed to. Maybe not even then.

"I'm not drinking!" she said, smiling, though Lucas could see her patience was wearing thin.

"Hey! Tony's here! Tony!!" Mike cried. "I gotta go talk to him."

"OK, I'll see you," she said, shaking her head as he walked off. She turned to Lucas, who was smirking at her as he sipped his beer. How he accomplished both, she wasn't really sure. "Sorry. He's..."

"And engineering student," he finished quietly, making her laugh heartily.

"Yeah," she managed. "He's not always like this."

"I'm sure he's not," he said sincerely. He trusted her judgment, somehow.

They stayed for an hour, in the kitchen, talking about music and books and art, making fun of the people around them acting like complete fools, and making up stories about where those same people would end their nights.

They heard uproarious laughter coming from another room, and made their way through the crowd after deciding they could use a laugh.

"...and she hasn't even slept with me!" Mike's voice rang out, making the guys sitting around him laugh. "I know, right? What the hell?"

Lucas glanced over to Peyton, and saw the hurt look on her face. He was about to say something to her when she marched forward and stood directly in front of the guy who was the centre of attention. Lucas did _not_ envy that guy.

"I'm not sure if I'm hoping you're talking about me or not," she started, speaking dangerously low as people watched on, wondering what was going to happen next. "If you are, you're an asshole. And if you're not, you're a _cheating_ asshole. So which of those two guys are you, Mike?"

He just wore a small smile and shook his head, stupidly reaching out for her arm, which she pulled away as though she'd been burned.

"Fuck you," she said softly. She turned to walk away before looking at him again. "And we would have slept together by now, but your little _problem_ got in the way. And I don't think that had anything to do with _me_. Maybe you wanna lay off the beer and weed."

She shot a look to Lucas, who was just watching on, stunned, as the crowd around them made comments in response to her last words. Lucas walked towards her and followed her out the front door of the house. It wasn't until she was on the sidewalk in front of the house that she spoke to him.

"Ugh!" she groaned. "Why are guys such _jerks_!?"

"Guys? Or _that_ guy?" he asked, a little worried that she might just bite his head off.

"All of them," she spat, running her fingers through her hair. He raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything, and she let out a sigh. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize to _me_," he said with a laugh. "I'm not the guy who's not gonna get laid for the rest of the school year." He meant it as a total joke, and so he was relieved when she let out a laugh and a smile graced her lips. "I mean, by the sounds of it, he couldn't if he wanted to, but..."

"OK, stop!" she said, still laughing. "Enough. I am _so_ done."

"I'm sorry, Peyton," he said sincerely.

"You didn't do anything," she pointed out with a shrug of her shoulders. "Come on, bookworm, let's get out of here."

"It's not even 11:00," he told her as they walked towards her car. "Don't be girly and go drown yourself in ice cream over that jackass."

"He's not even worth the ice cream," she said, and he actually got the feeling she really might believe that. "I know where we're going."

"Wanna tell me?" he asked, opening the door to her car again and getting in as she started the ignition.

"Nope," she said, glancing over at him before pulling away from the curb.

When they ended up back at his house, he looked at her in complete confusion. Even more, when she cut the engine and got out. So she was coming in. He couldn't really understand, but it wasn't that late, and he didn't mind the company. It was all too quiet in that house alone.

"Your house seems peaceful," she said as they walked up the steps and he pulled out his keys. "And a little Damien would be perfect right now."

"You mean instead of Nelly?" he teased, opening the door and gesturing for her to step inside.

"Oh my God, how unbearable was that?" she laughed.

She kicked off her shoes and made her way towards the sofa, but stopped short and looked at the photos on the mantle.

"This is your nephew?" she asked, though it was obvious that the young boy was some sort of relation.

"Yup," he said, making his way over to her. "That's Jamie."

"He's adorable," she said with a smile. "Who's this?"

"That'd be my little sister," he explained, looking fondly at the photo of the little brunette as she sat with him on the front steps of his childhood home. "This is Haley, and Nathan, and that's my mom."

He pointed to the photos, and watched her facial expressions as she looked at every one.

"Who's this? Is this you?" she asked, pointing to a photo of a little blonde boy tucked into the side of an older brunette man.

"That's me and my uncle Keith," he explained.

She sensed his tone change, and she didn't want to pry, so she dropped the subject. She'd already invited herself into his house, though he didn't really seem to mind. She didn't want to come off as completely nosey.

"It's quite a family," she said seriously as he turned some music on.

"You don't even know the half of it," he muttered vaguely.

He made them some tea, and they sat on his sofa and picked up where they'd left off at the party. Favourite albums and movies, lyrics that changed their worlds, hobbies and past times. Even the things they disagreed on, they could each appreciate. The explanations they gave were all too familiar, and there was just a general understanding between them, somehow. She chalked it up to them both being creative people. Intellectuals and artists who'd seen a little life.

It was nearing 1:00 a.m. when she let out a yawn and looked to the clock.

"I should go," she announced, standing up and stretching her arms.

"You OK to drive?" he asked as he followed her to the door.

"Yeah, I live like, 10 minutes away," she explained, waving off his concern. She had quickly discovered, over the course of that evening, that whoever Lucas was, he wasn't like anyone else. "So listen, thanks for not letting me be all girly about him."

"You don't have to thank me," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Thanks for hanging out."

"You don't have to thank me," she mimicked, making him laugh. "I'll see you around, Luke."

"Yeah," he said with a nod. "Drive safely."

She nodded her head and offered a wave, and started towards her car. He watched her until she drove away, then closed the door of his house and clicked the lock, thinking that maybe he'd just made a really great - really interesting - friend.

----

The next morning, Lucas was working out, lifting weights in the 'gym' he and Nathan had put together when they first moved into the house. It wasn't anything fancy, just a rack and a treadmill, some free weights and of course, a television, always on ESPN. He was in just a pair of basketball shorts, as he usually was when he worked out, and he hadn't expected a knock on the door.

He didn't have a tee shirt handy, since he hadn't thought he'd be interrupted, and so when he pulled the door open and saw Peyton standing on his porch, they were both a little surprised.

"Uh...hi," he managed, still standing in the doorway.

"I brought coffee," she said, holding up two cups. "Apparently, I should have brought you a shirt."

"Oh! Sorry!" he said with a smile, glancing down at his sweating torso. "Come in. Hang on two seconds."

She stepped into the house and moved to the sofa as he ran upstairs, returning a couple moments later tugging a white tee shirt over his head.

"Sorry about that," he said, flopping down next to her.

"Sorry to interrupt...whatever I interrupted," she said, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Just a light workout," he said, shrugging. He suspected they both knew it was a little more than a light workout, given how sweaty he had been when he answered the door.

"So listen, I just wanted to thank you for being so cool about everything last night," she started, watching as a look of complete confusion spread on his face. "You really didn't have to be so good to me, and I kind of invited myself in...kind of like I did again this morning."

He just laughed at her obvious nervousness, and shook his head.

"It's no problem," he insisted. "I actually had fun last night."

"Yeah, me too," she said with a smile.

He was about to speak again when his phone rang. He knew from the ringtone that it was Haley, and he knew that she'd worry if he didn't answer.

"Sorry, I should grab this," he said regrettably.

"Of course. Go ahead," she said, waving off his remorse.

She watched as he walked across the room and grabbed his phone, rubbing the back of his neck as he spoke.

"Hello?"

"Hey, buddy," Haley's voice came.

"Hey, Hales," he said happily.

"How are you? Do you have time to talk?" she asked.

"I'm great. I actually have company, though," he said, picturing the look on her face as her mind would have no doubt started to race.

"At 10:00 on a Saturday morning? You have a girl there! Did you meet a girl?" she asked excitedly. Lucas heard Nathan's voice in the background saying something inappropriate about it, and he laughed at them both.

"Sort of," he said. "It's not like that."

"Whatever!" she scoffed. "I'm calling back later and you're telling me everything. I just wanted to check and see how the apartment hunt is going."

"It's not," he said in frustration. "There's nothing out there. And honestly, I really don't want to leave this place. Can't your NBA star husband just buy his brother a house?"

"I'll talk to him," she laughed, though both of them knew Nathan wouldn't be buying Lucas anything more than a few team tee shirts. "OK. Go hang out with your lady friend!"

"Oh God, Hales. Seriously?" he asked incredulously. "Don't say that ever again."

"Fine! Have fun, Luke," she sang before hanging up.

He hung up the phone and shook his head as he laughed. Haley certainly had her own way of saying things. But Peyton was a friend, if he could even really call her that yet. It wasn't anything like Haley had been so quick to assume.

"Haley," he said, by way of explanation as he turned back to Peyton.

"Ah," she said, nodding, because she'd obviously already heard that, but didn't want to seem like she'd been eavesdropping on his call. He'd only been 15 feet away from her, but she didn't know him well enough yet to listen in on his phone conversations.

"She's been calling me every second day to ask about the apartment search," he explained as he sat down again. "I mean, not that she wouldn't be calling that often anyway."

"Sounds like Brooke," Peyton laughed. "Except she's usually just calling for gossip."

He just laughed again. That sounded awfully familiar.

"So listen," she started, making him turn to her. "I have a crazy idea that you could either love or hate me for."

"Well, your other ideas have panned out pretty well," he said seriously, with a smirk on his lips as he raised his coffee cup.

"You love this place, right?" she asked, watching as he nodded. "And you don't want to move, and I need a place to live, and I really _do_ need to move."

"OK...?" he said. He kind of knew where she was going, but he kind of wanted her to say the words.

"So I was thinking, I mean...tell me if this is insane since we've only known each other like, 2 days, but maybe...if you want...I mean, I could move in here," she said, rambling and gesturing with her arms.

"Oh," he said, looking away from her as he mulled it over. "Are you sure you'd be OK with that? I mean, we hardly know each other."

"Honestly, I feel like I know you better than most of the people I've met since I started school," she explained. "You can say no and I won't be insulted. I just thought I'd put it out there."

"No, I mean...It's a good idea. I just wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable or anything," he said worriedly. "But, I actually don't think that sounds bad at all."

"Really?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah," he said, nodding and letting himself smile. "Really. I mean, if you're sure."

She let out a lout sigh of relief, and smiled over at him before reaching out and wrapping her arms around him.

"You're saving my life," she said seriously. "Oh my God! I have to go pack things!"

"Don't you want to see your room?" he asked with a laugh.

"Oh. Right!" she said, hopping up off the sofa.

He gave her the full tour he hadn't given her the night before, showing her where everything went and giving her details on rent and utilities and everything she needed to know.

After Nathan and Haley moved out, he had thought of taking over the master bedroom with the bigger ensuite bathroom, but he'd decided against it since he hadn't thought he'd be living there much longer, and he kind of liked his room. And now, he realized that Peyton would appreciate it all much more than he would.

She left about an hour later, both of them excited by the prospect of their new living arrangements. He wouldn't have to move, and she'd found a roommate she - for some reason - trusted, and a house she could actually see herself living in.

All that was left was for her to move in her things.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Honestly? 70 reviews on two chapters? You guys are incredible. Truly. You blow me away with your awesomeness. I wasn't going to update today, but so many of you said such fantastic things, I just couldn't help myself. Happy OTH watching!

**----**

It had been just over a week since Peyton moved in, and things weren't uncomfortable, but they weren't necessarily comfortable either. Both their schedules were intense, so when they weren't in school, they were each studying. It was only the third week of classes, but they were both wrapped up in their studies, and neither wanted to interrupt the other.

Lucas couldn't shake the feeling that Peyton didn't really feel 'at home' there yet, which was understandable, but he didn't want her to feel that way. He wanted her to think of it as her home, because it was. He may have lived there longer, but she was certainly welcome. He kind of liked knowing there was another person there, even when they were each behind closed doors. He'd hear her music, or her laughter as she spoke on the phone, and it would put him at ease, letting him know that he wasn't alone there. It was comforting to not be surrounded by silence all the time.

They barely got a chance to talk, and Peyton was wondering if Brooke's concerns were valid. When she'd called her best friend to tell her she'd found a place to live, Brooke had questioned the move.

--

_"So you're going to live with a boy?" Brooke asked. _

_"Yeah, but I trust him already, which is totally weird since I just met him. But his best friend is a girl, and he just seems like a genuine guy," Peyton explained as she packed her things. _

_"You trusting someone that quickly is definitely weird," Brooke said with a laugh. "You've never lived with a guy before, Peyton." _

_"So! How different can it be? There's no way in hell I'm going to be his maid, if that's what you're implying," she said seriously. "And I love this house. You should see it, Brooke." _

_"I'm more interested in seeing the boy," Brooke informed her. "Seriously, what does he look like?" _

_"Why does that matter!?" _

_"Because!" Brooke cried. "It totally matters. You've seen _When Harry Met Sally_. Men and women can't be friends. There's _always_ sexual tension there." _

_"That's such bullshit, Brooke," Peyton scoffed. "I may not know him very well, but if I felt anything for him, I wouldn't be moving in with him."_

_"So what does he look like?" _

_"Are you serious?" Peyton asked with a laugh. _

_"I am totally serious. Is he cute? He's blonde, isn't he?" Brooke asked in rapid-fire succession. _

_"How did you know he was blonde?" Peyton asked quickly. _

_"I just always pictured you with a blonde guy," Brooke said nonchalantly. "What else?" _

_"Ugh!" Peyton groaned. "Fine! He has blue eyes, upturned nose, short-ish hair. I guess his body is nice..." _

_"Whoa, whoa," Brooke said, interrupting Peyton. "You've seen his body?" _

_"When I showed up the other day, he was working out and wasn't wearing a shirt," Peyton explained. "Whatever. It was nothing." _

_"Not nothing! Your hot new roommate works out shirtless, and you're going to be sharing a space with him," Brooke said seriously. "Just be careful with that little black heart of yours, OK?" _

_"My heart is not black!" _

_"It so is. Maybe blonde haired, blue eyed, hot body roomie will make it _not_ black," Brooke said, and Peyton could practically hear her smirking and see those dimples. _

_"His name is Lucas," Peyton said, trying to keep herself from laughing and encouraging her friend's nonsense. _

_"OK, I have to go. I'm on a deadline to choose some fabric samples, and I need to decide between royal blue and Persian blue." _

_"High class problems you have, there, B. Davis," Peyton laughed. "I'll talk to you later." _

_"Love you, P. Sawyer ," Brooke sang happily. _

_"Love you, too," Peyton said before hanging up her phone. _

--

But Peyton still didn't think it was sexual tension. She barely knew Lucas, and she certainly didn't think of him that way. But she did still worry that he'd think she was taking over his house or something. She'd moved some things around in the fridge and kitchen cabinets to store her food. She'd thought of putting up some of her own photos in the living room, but he had so many of his own, and she didn't want to disrupt the feel of the house. She kind of loved that he so obviously had put time into making everything look the way he wanted.

So she'd wait it out, keep to herself a bit, and hope that things would get better, and maybe they'd have a few good nights sometime soon as roommates.

When Lucas called Haley to tell her the news, he was a little bit surprised that she wasn't more supportive of his choice to have someone come live with him so he didn't have to move.

--

_"So she's a girl," Haley stated pointlessly. _

_"Yeah," he said nonchalantly. "She's cool." _

_"You've never lived with a girl," she reminded him. _

_"I lived with _you_ for three years!" _

_"Not the same," she said seriously. "I'm married to your brother and we have a child. This girl is single, right?" _

_"Yeah, she just broke up with some jackass," he explained. _

_"And you're already protective over her," Haley said, and he could almost picture her smiling knowingly. _

_"Haley, come on," he scoffed. _

_"Lucas, you wouldn't call her ex a jackass if you weren't already watching over her," she told him, knowing that he was aware that her statement was the truth. _

_"Whatever, Hales," he admonished. "It'll be fine. She's an artist. She's into music. You'd probably really like her." _

_"Is she pretty?" _

_"What? That has nothing to do with anything," he said, almost getting annoyed with her constant inquiries. _

_"Answer the question, Luke." _

_"She's...not ugly," he said, shrugging his shoulders as he sat as his desk. He hadn't really looked at Peyton that way, or really thought about it until Haley asked. "She's pretty, I guess." _

_"What does she look like? Curly hair, right?" she asked. _

_"How did you know she has curly hair?" _

_"I just always pictured you with a girl with curly hair," she said nonchalantly, making him groan in frustration. "What else?" _

_"I dunno...she's thin, blonde, green eyes, olive skin, long legs..."_

_"You've already measured her legs!" she squealed. "You have _always_ been a leg man." _

_"Haley, please..." _

_"Luke, you are _so_ gonna fall for this girl," she said seriously, her tone quiet and insistent, like it always was when she really wanted him to listen to her. _

_"Believe it or not, Hales, but sometimes men and women _can_ be just friends," he said incredulously. He didn't really think he would have had to point that out to her, given their own relationship._

_"Maybe so," she admitted. "Oh, I have to go. Jamie's throwing Cheerios around the kitchen, and your fool of a brother is just laughing at him." _

_"Alright, kiss Jamie for me," he said as he chuckled. "Love you guys." _

_"We love you, too," she said before hanging up. _

----

It was early Saturday afternoon, and Lucas was already up and had been out for a run, gone for groceries and to his favourite book store and stopped by the library. He was just settling in for an afternoon of watching whatever sports he could find on television, relaxing on the sofa in his sweats, when Peyton came down the stairs, still in her pajama pants and tank top.

"Hey," he greeted her with a smile. "You slept late."

"I'm a late sleeper," she grumbled tiredly, stepping into the kitchen and fumbling with the coffee maker. She reached for a bagel before calling back to him. "You want anything while I'm in here?"

"I'm good, thanks," he called back.

He'd just settled on a Red Socks vs. Blue Jays game, when she stepped back into the room and sat down on the sofa next to him.

"Well, well," she said with a grin. "You and I in the same room."

"I know, right? It feels like we haven't even been here at the same time," he said, laughing a little as she bit into her bagel.

"School's been killing me," she said after swallowing. "Who would have thought being a college senior would have been so time consuming?"

He laughed at her sarcastic tone, knowing that they both probably knew what was in store for them as double majors in their last year of school. Things had been busy for the both of them, but he really was thankful that they were both finally there at the same time.

"Same here."

"And I've been kind of trying to stay out of your way," she said nonchalantly, trying to downplay the statement.

"What?" he asked in shock, turning to face her. "Why?"

"I dunno," she shrugged. "This is...it's your house, and I don't want to..."

"It's your house, too, Peyton," he insisted. "Make yourself at home, OK? Put up photos, do whatever you want to do."

"Are you sure? Because you've got everything so organized," she said seriously, shaking her head.

"This is all Haley's doing," he laughed. "Seriously, though, I don't want you to feel like this is just some random place you live. I want you to be comfortable."

"Thanks, Luke," she said sincerely. "That...actually makes me feel a lot better."

"And we should talk more," he said with a smirk. "We've kind of been two ships passing in the night. I don't really know anything about you."

"You know the important things," she said. "Favourite music, hometown, best friend, how I take my coffee."

"Well, that's true," he laughed.

Ortiz hit the ball on the screen, and almost before it had even left the bat, she called it a home run. When she was right, he looked over at her with a raised eyebrow and an inquisitive look on his face. And that trademark smirk of his.

"What?" she asked coyly.

"How did you...?"

"My dad's a big baseball fan," she said with a shrug. "A Red Sox fan, actually, for some reason. We always watched games together. It was kind of our thing."

"You are an interesting woman, Peyton Sawyer," he said after a few moments.

She just smiled back at him and sipped her coffee, and the two of them spent their afternoon chatting and watching a ball game.

She was starting to get to know him more and more, just from the little things he was saying, and she wondered if maybe he was going to be an even better roommate than she thought. When she retreated to her room that night to do some reading, he knocked on her door and handed her an album he had told her about that day, and she gave him one of hers as 'collateral' until she gave his back. When she put on the music, she could only smile at how similar their tastes were. So maybe he thought she was an interesting woman, but she was quickly learning that he was pretty interesting, too.

----

They'd spent a little more time together since that first day when their paths had actually crossed at the house. He came home one day with pizza, and she came home the next with Chinese. They'd talk about their respective days and give each other a little more insight into their chose fields of study. She'd explain the metaphors behind the paintings he told her were his favourites, and he told her all the underlying themes of her favourite books. She laughed and said that anyone else would call them geeks for actually loving those conversations.

But those conversations were allowing them to get to know each other a little better, bit by bit. She learned a lot about his personality through learning his favourite pieces of art and his favourite books, and she assumed he felt the same way.

It was nearly two weeks after they'd really started talking to each other, that Lucas woke up, fully intending on going to his 11:00 am European Lit. class, when he heard a muffled sob come from behind the door of Peyton's room. He was going to just keep walking; let her go through whatever it was she was going through on her own. She would have asked for his help if she needed it. But something told him she needed it without her even saying the words.

So he knocked gently, said her name softly, and waited for her to pull the door open.

"Peyton," he repeated quietly, noticing the redness in her eyes, and he could tell she'd wiped the tears, but that didn't mean he didn't know they had been there.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly. "I'm just...I'm having a day. I didn't mean to bother you."

"You're not bothering me," he insisted, leaning against the door frame. "What's wrong?"

"It's..." She couldn't even say the word 'nothing'. It wasn't nothing, and she suspected that even if she told him it was, he'd know she was lying. "My mom died today. 14 years ago."

They hadn't gotten into their family histories, and so he had no idea that her mother had passed away. She'd never mentioned her, but he hadn't suspected anything like this.

"I'm so sorry," he said sincerely.

Instinctively, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. He'd never been one to let a crying woman go without consoling; probably something be learned from having a single mom, a little sister, and Haley as a best friend. That, and it was just easier, somehow, if he couldn't see the tears. Tears always tore at his heart a little bit.

"Can I do anything for you?" he asked, pulling away slightly as she wiped her eyes again.

"No," she said softly, shaking her head. "No, I'm just going to skip classes and drive out to see her."

"To Wilmington?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I always go visit her, and I wasn't going to go since I have a class this afternoon, but...I have to go."

"I understand," he said with a weak smile. "But you shouldn't drive when you're so upset."

"I was going to wait until I calmed down a little," she said, letting out a little laugh.

He took a deep breath and thought for a moment, knowing he could talk to one of the people in his class to get any notes. He was already ahead in his reading, anyway. He couldn't let her spend the day alone. He just couldn't. Sure, he didn't know her all that well yet, but maybe helping her through the day would bring them together a little more. Maybe seeing where she grew up would make them both a little more comfortable.

"Why don't I drive you?" he suggested.

"What? Luke..." She looked down to her feet as she shook her head, quickly trying to figure out why he'd even offer.

"Come on," he said with a smile. "I insist."

"You have classes on Wednesdays," she pointed out, though really, she would love the company.

"So do you," he countered playfully.

"You'd really do that?" she asked timidly.

"Sure," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Get dressed."

She just smiled and hugged him again and then closed the door so she could get changed.

She tugged on a pair of jeans and a burgundy top, threw on some makeup, and pulled her hair up into a ponytail. She grabbed some music and threw it in her bag before making her way into the hall and down the stairs. She pulled out her phone to call her father, knowing that he was home for the 'anniversary'.

"Hey daddy," she said, just as she'd stepped into the living room to see Lucas waiting for her. "No, I'm OK...Yeah, I know...I'm coming to town...Yeah, I did, but I'm skipping...Because this is more important...No, Lucas is driving me...Yeah, my roommate, dad...Yes, you can meet him...I'm not answering that!...Because!...OK, I'll see you in a few hours...Love you, too."

He wondered, briefly, what it was that her father had asked her that she refused to answer, but she breezed past him and towards the door, and he followed her outside.

"Here," she said, holding out her car keys to him.

"No way," he said with a smile. "We're taking mine."

"Why?" she asked, furrowing her brow.

"Because I love my car." He said it like it was the most obvious answer in the world, and she just let out a breathy laugh and followed him to the pristine old Mustang parked in the driveway next to her car.

They'd already been driving for a half hour before either of them said a word. He didn't want to push her, and she didn't want to dump her problems on him. But she knew that he would listen to her if she spoke. She didn't know him that well, but she got the feeling that he'd just listen. No judgement, no empty words, just listen.

"It was a car accident," she said, making him turn to her briefly before fixing his eyes on the road again. "She was late to pick me up and she ran a red light."

He didn't say anything, and she didn't really expect him to. Most people would apologize or ask more questions or give her that look of almost pity. He didn't do any of those things. She kind of liked that.

"You'd think it'd be easier after all this time..."

"No, I wouldn't," he insisted softly, glancing over at her again. "It doesn't get easier." He could tell she was totally confused by his statement, so he elaborated. "I lost my uncle a few years ago. It still hurts...all the time."

She didn't say anything in response to that, just looked at him and flashed a little smile, her spirits just a little bit better knowing that someone understood what she was going though. She'd gotten her call from Brooke that morning, just as she'd expected, but Brooke, no matter how sweet and thoughtful a best friend she was, couldn't really grasp those feelings. Lucas could.

They were mostly quiet for the rest of the drive, occasionally commenting on the songs that would come on, or the small towns they passed on the highway. She directed him through her small city and towards the cemetery she needed to get to. She didn't want to admit it, but she was kind of blown away by how considerate and kind Lucas was. And she was kind of oddly comfortable just sitting in the passenger seat next to him as he drove.

They'd stopped for flowers, and when she moved to get out of the car once they'd reached their destination, he sat still and she looked at him as though to ask why he wasn't getting out.

"Take your time," he said with a nod.

"Come," she insisted.

"Peyton..."

"Please, Luke."

And so he heaved a sigh and reached for the door handle, stepping out of the car and stretching his arms over his head, before following her to the spot she obviously knew well.

He hung back a bit and let her sit on the grass alone for a while. He could see her lips moving, but couldn't hear her words. He was glad. This was a personal moment for her, and the last thing he wanted was to interfere with that. He knew from experience how cathartic it could be there to just sit like that and talk.

She waved him over after a while, and he smiled at her before taking a seat next to her on the grass.

"Mom, this is Lucas," she said softly, looking over to the blonde boy as he smiled and looked to the grass. "You'd probably grill him right now, asking him all sorts of questions about...everything. But I swear, we're just friends. I'm taking him to meet daddy, so that should be scary enough for him."

Lucas just let out a laugh, but didn't say anything. Peyton said something else about him, and his devotion to literature, explaining that her father would probably love him for that.

And then they sat in silence again for at least 20 minutes, until she stood from her place. He did the same, and placed his hand on the stone before them, holding it there for a moment. It was a simple gesture, and she suspected he had no idea how much it meant to her.

As they were walking back to the car, he saw her reach up and wipe away a tear, so he draped his arm around her shoulder and she leaned into him just a little bit, thankful for the comfort.

He started driving in the direction she pointed him in, and within about 10 minutes, he was standing in the living room of the house she grew up in, shaking her father's hand and being thanked for not letting her drive out there alone.

Then the older man caught sight of the Mustang parked on the street, and started asking Lucas about engine size and horsepower and all sorts of stuff that didn't really interest Peyton too much. She made coffee and a some food while the men talked about cars. She was actually a little surprised that her dad was being so nonchalant about her living with a boy. She'd explained that they weren't together, not that he'd asked, but he still seemed to be taking it better than she'd expected. But Lucas was the least of Larry Sawyer's worries, and she suspected he knew that.

When they stepped back into the house, they headed straight for the kitchen and sat at the table, now talking about Larry's vintage Corvette, which he'd obviously shown off.

"OK, girl in the room," she reminded them as they started to eat. "No more car talk, please."

"She's just like her mother," Larry said with a fond smile. "Funny, sarcastic, wily. Sweetheart with a temper."

"Dad!"

"It's true, Chicken," he said, reaching for her hand. "You're just like her. I wouldn't want it any other way."

They spent the rest of the afternoon talking about school and books and Larry's job, and as Lucas and Peyton were leaving, Larry pulled his daughter aside and wrapped his arms around her. Lucas watched on from the curb, smiling at his roommate who was so obviously a daddy's girl. He got the feeling she'd scowl at him if he ever pointed that out.

"He's a good boy," he said as he pulled away.

"Dad," she admonished, wanting to tell him for the hundredth time that Lucas was just a friend.

"I know," he conceded. "I just like that you have a man like him to watch over you, that's all."

She rolled her eyes, but smiled, and she wrapped her arm around his waist as he walked her to the curb.

"It was great to meet you, Mr. Sawyer," Lucas said, extending his hand.

"It's Larry. And it was good to meet you too, son."

"I'll see you soon, dad. I love you." Peyton hugged her dad one more time, making all three of them smile.

"Love you, too," he said, kissing her forehead.

They waved as they drove away, and once they'd rounded the corner, Lucas spoke.

"Your dad's awesome."

"He's pretty great," she said with a smile.

"He calls you Chicken," he stated, failing in his attempts to hide his smirk.

"Shut up!"

"It's cute!"

"He's...he's called me that since I can remember," she explained. "Even when he was mad at me and we were screaming at each other, he'd call me Chicken."

He could only laugh softly at that admission. He could almost picture her as a snarky teenager, glaring at her father.

He'd noticed that smile get bigger and bigger as the day went on. Being around her dad and having that time to spend with her mom had been good for her. He knew that feeling.

"Hey, are you in any rush to get back?" she asked after a few minutes.

"No. Why?"

"You said Tree Hill's close to here, right?" she asked, making him turn to her with a furrowed brow when they were stopped at a red light.

"Yeah," he said timidly.

"Let's go," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. "We can go there and still make it back at a decent hour."

"The only ones there are my mom and sister," he explained, but he couldn't help but smile as he thought about seeing them. It had only been a few weeks, but he still missed them like crazy.

"Come on, you just sat through an afternoon with my dad," she reminded him. "I'd like to see where you grew up."

He just let out a sigh and smiled at her again, and then headed for home.


	4. Chapter 4

Tree Hill was smaller than Peyton had though it'd be, but it was oddly comforting, and she really didn't know why that was. Lucas drew waves from residents of the small town, and she smiled each time he lifted his hand in return. She asked how he could possibly know everyone, and he shrugged his shoulders and reminded her that it was a small town, as though it were the simplest thing in the world. She commented on the 'Home of Nathan Scott' billboard that now sat at the town limits, and Lucas smiled proudly. He'd never get sick of seeing that sign. He pointed out certain areas and stores, and when they passed the high school, he showed her his and Nathan's jersey numbers painted on two blue stones in front of the field house in honour of their state championship.

She was impressed. She'd known he played basketball, but she didn't know he'd won a championship; that he'd made the winning shot in that game. As it turned out, Nathan Scott wasn't the only skilled ball player in the family. Lucas explained to her about the heart condition that held him back. She listened intently to every story he told.

She started to think that maybe they already knew each other better than they had thought. Sure, they didn't know the details, but they would fill int he blanks for each other along the way. That core understanding - that comfort - was what led her to believe that maybe she wasn't as much of a mystery as she'd thought. And maybe he didn't think she was a mystery at all.

When they parked in front of the little café, it was nearing 6:00 in the evening, and they were both starving. He didn't tell her that it was his mom's restaurant they'd be eating at.

"Lucas!" Karen cried when he stepped through the door, making the chimes sound and calling her attention to him.

"Lukey!" Lily added from her place at the counter.

Both brunettes rushed towards him and hugged him fiercely, making him laugh as he pulled them into his arms.

"What are you doing here?" Karen asked hurriedly as she gestured for him to sit.

"I just had hot chocolate!" Lily proclaimed, making him laugh as he lifted her up and perched her on his arm.

"You did?" he asked, feigning awe. "I missed you, Lil."

"I miss you, too, Luke," she chirped.

"Oh! Sorry," he said, looking back to Peyton. "This is my roommate."

"Peyton," Karen said with a smile, having heard about the girl from her son and from Haley. "It's so nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too," Peyton said politely, stepping forward.

"Are you hungry? Can I get you something?" Karen asked.

"We're actually starving," Lucas admitted with a chuckle.

"Luke, what's a roommate?" Lily asked.

He sat down on a stool at the counter, setting Lily on the one next to him and gesturing for Peyton to sit on the other side of him.

"She lives in my house with me," he explained.

"Oh," Lily said softly. "Luke's my big brother." She craned her neck around Lucas so she could see Peyton, and the blonde offered a sweet smile.

"I bet he's a great big brother," she said, smiling when Lucas winked at her.

"He's the _best_," Lily insisted.

Karen watched her son and the pretty blonde girl interact from her place in the kitchen, and all she could do was smile. She'd heard over and over that Peyton was 'just his roommate', but both Karen and Haley had agreed that he was definitely going to fall for the girl. And that was before meeting her. The gossip in her couldn't wait to call Haley and tell her all about the girl Lucas had brought to town.

Lucas grabbed them a couple sodas and listened as Lily regaled them with tales of pre-school and her friends, and the stories Karen would read her. Peyton watched on, smiling at the love Lucas so obviously had for his little sister.

Karen returned with two plates of food, and they all chatted as Lucas and Peyton ate their dinner, with the younger woman claiming it was one of the best meals she'd had in ages. It wasn't a lie.

They talked about school and art and Nathan, and explained why they weren't in classes that day. Karen had laid a compassionate hand over Peyton's when she heard the reason for the impromptu road trip.

It was official. Peyton loved Lucas' family. Then she reminded herself that she hadn't even met them all yet, and that there were a few more members in Atlanta that she was now dying to meet. She had a feeling she would love Haley and Nathan, based on the stories she'd heard.

She was sitting at the counter, colouring and laughing with Lily, as Lucas and Karen looked on from the kitchen.

"She's quite a girl, Lucas," Karen said, smiling knowingly.

"Please don't, mom," he warned after seeing the look on her face. "You and Haley really need to stop talking so often."

"I'm just saying, she's very sweet," Karen said, locking eyes with her son. "And she's very pretty."

"Mom!"

"Lucas, you can't tell me you don't think she's beautiful," she said with a cocked eyebrow.

And no, he couldn't tell her that.

"We're just friends," he reminded her. He knew that it wasn't a denial, and that would give his mother the confirmation they were both sure she didn't really need to hear.

"I know," she said, smiling. _For now_, she thought.

They walked to where Lily and Peyton were sitting, and Lily held up her drawing proudly. It was a mess of colours and scribbles, just like any other three year old's would be, but they oo-ed and ah-ed over it like it was a masterpiece.

"Peyton said I'm like a little Money!" the girl stated proudly.

"I think you mean _Monet_," Lucas laughed.

"Yeah, that," Lily said with a smile, making them all laugh again.

"Well, we should probably hit the road," Lucas announced, making Lily's face fall. "None of that, Lil."

"I miss you," she pouted.

"Aww, I miss you too. You know that," he said, pulling her into his arms once more. "But I'll be back soon, OK?"

"Promise?"

"I promise," he said, kissing her forehead before setting her down.

"With Peyton?" she asked eagerly.

"We'll see," he laughed. His little sister was obviously smitten with his friend.

He pulled his mother in for a hug, too, and then Karen hugged Peyton, catching her off guard for a moment before she reciprocated. She wondered when the last time was that she felt that accepted, that welcomed. She gave Lily a hug, and they all said their goodbyes, and then Lucas and Peyton were back in the car. He noticed the smile hadn't left her face. He kind of loved that his family could make her smile like that.

"I want to show you one more thing before we go," he said, guiding his car effortlessly through his hometown. "I know it's getting late..."

"It's OK," she said, interrupting him. "We'll still be back before midnight."

He pulled up next to the old court by the river and cut the engine, but he stayed in the car for a moment, just taking in the sight from that perspective. He'd been there only weeks earlier, but it still felt like too long.

When he opened the door and stepped out, Peyton did the same, and he went to the trunk of his car and pulled out the basketball that he always kept there.

"This is where I grew up," he said with a smile, walking onto the court and sinking a shot effortlessly.

"It's cool here," she observed, walking to center court and receiving the pass he sent her way.

"I used to come here every day and play for hours," he told her, watching as she spun the ball in her hands.

"Apparently it payed off, Mr. State Champion," she teased, tossing the ball back to him as he laughed. "How come you never told me that?"

"I dunno," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Just never came up, I guess."

"Luke, we talk about basketball all the time," she reminded him. "I think you're just too humble."

"Is there such a thing as _too_ humble?" he asked, as she walked over to the picnic table and sat on the top.

"I dunno. Probably," she laughed.

She watched as he sent up shot after shot, completely in his own little world, just him and the game he loved. He didn't miss often, and when he did, he'd curse and reach for the ball and try again. Every shot he hit, he'd smile like a proud little boy. She had to wonder how many times he'd sunk the ball through those chains over the years. She assumed it was countless.

"Luke, can I ask you something?" she said after about 20 minutes.

"Sure," he said, tossing the ball one last time through the net before going to sit next to her.

"Where's your dad?"

As soon as she'd said the words, she noticed his posture change and his eyes move to the ground. She worried that she was prying, and immediately regretted being so bold.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. Just, you don't have any photos, and he wasn't around today..."

"It's OK," he said, a weak smile on his lips as he cut off her rambling. "It's a long story, though."

"I'm all ears," she said with a smile. "I mean, if you want to tell it."

"Yeah, I do. It just kind of freaks people out sometimes, so I try not to bring it up too early in a friendship."

"OK...?"

"Nathan and I have the same dad, but different moms," he explained. "My mom and Dan were high school sweethearts, and she got pregnant just before graduation, and he left her to go to college."

"He just left her?" she asked in surprise.

"Nothing was more important at the time than basketball for him," he said, shrugging his shoulders and trying to downplay the situation. It was huge and awful, but he had come to terms with it long ago. "He went to college, met Nathan's mom, and she got pregnant about three months after my mom."

"Wow," Peyton muttered, making him laugh. That was generally the reaction to that bit of news.

"He married Deb and quit playing ball, and they moved back to Tree Hill."

"So you had to grow up in a small town and see this guy all the time?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said as he nodded solemnly. "Nathan and I hated each other until we were teenagers and I joined varsity."

"Really? You guys are so close now," she said, turning to him and tucking one leg beneath her.

"Haley had a lot to do with that. And our coach," he explained, and she nodded her head. Normally he felt completely uncomfortable and, yes, a little scared to tell the story. It wasn't like that with Peyton. "Anyway, my uncle Keith was always like a dad to me. Did everything for me and my mom."

"Your dad's brother?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "But uh...then Keith and my mom got engaged, and Dan kind of lost it. He'd just divorced Deb, and Nathan had gotten emancipated and married Haley..."

"Whoa, whoa. _When_ did Nathan and Haley get married?" she asked with wide eyes.

"Junior year of high school," he said with a laugh. No matter how many times he told this story, people were still surprised by that fact.

"Wow. That's..."

"Yeah, it was a bit of a surprise," he said, smiling at the shocked look on her face. "Well, after mom and Keith got engaged, Dan just...he thought, I guess, that Keith was trying to steal his life from him or something."

He took a long pause, and she got the impression there was more to say that was just too hard for him to speak out loud. She didn't want to press him, but she felt like maybe he _wanted_ to tell her, to let her know the background on his family and give her a little more insight into his life.

"Lucas, what happened?" she asked gently.

"Dan...he uh...he shot Keith," he said softly. She took an audible breath and her hand flew to her mouth. "One bullet, and he was gone."

"Lucas..."

"He's been in prison for three years," he finished.

"I'm so sorry," she said, shaking her head. "You...you really didn't have to tell me that."

"It's OK," he whispered. "I wanted to. It's just a hard thing to relive."

"Thank you," she said after a few moments, "for telling me."

She knew how hard it must have been for him to open up to her about everything. She hadn't told him about her mother, and while it wasn't the same situation, it was the same raw emotion attached to losing someone you love. She knew it must have taken him a lot to tell her, and that he must have trusted her, and while she wished she'd realized that under different circumstances, she was thankful that he felt that way. Because she felt the same.

"I know all about your family, right?" he pointed out with a smile.

"Um...sort of," she mumbled. "Can I ask one more thing? Lily..."

"She's my mom and Keith's daughter. She was born about 6 months after Keith died," he explained.

He noticed a glimmer in her eyes, and he wondered if that was the worst possible day to fill her in on his sordid history. She took a deep breath, and he wrapped his arm around her.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Maybe I shouldn't have said anything."

"No!" she said quickly. "No, it's OK. I'm glad you did. It's just kind of..."

"Sad?" he filled in.

"Yeah. I mean, not in a pathetic way," she added hurriedly.

"I know," he laughed, rubbing her shoulder comfortingly. "Come on. We should go."

When they got back into the car and onto the highway, something she said was ringing in his ears. He _sort of _knew all about her family? He wondered what that meant. They'd spent the whole day together, talking and meeting each others' families, and so he wondered what else there was to know that she wasn't telling him. He wasn't going to ask, but he figured he'd told her all about his crazy family, and whatever she had to say, couldn't be _that_ bad.

"Peyton, what did you mean earlier when you said I sort of know about your family?"

"Oh," she said softly. "Right."

"You don't have to..."

"No, it's OK," she said with a laugh. Surely they couldn't keep those secrets from each other. "Family drama is definitely something we have in common." He glanced over at her with a smile before she continued. "I'm actually adopted. My birth mother came around when I was in high school. She actually had breast cancer and passed away a few months after I got to know her."

"Wow," he sighed. "Peyton..."

"I know," she said, knowing he was about to say he was sorry. "So as it turns out, I have a half brother, too. He's a Marine."

"Whoa," he said with a laugh. "You should tell that to these guys you date."

"Shut up!" she said, swatting his arm as they both chuckled.

"Are you guys close?" he asked.

"We're pretty close. He's at Camp Lejuene. I see him pretty often when he's not overseas."

"That's crazy. I'm slightly intimidated," Lucas stated.

"Why!?"

"Marine brother?" he said incredulously. "Seriously, that's a little scary."

She just laughed again, and then a song came on that they both knew was one of their mutual favourites, and they were quiet for a while. When he looked over at her again, she was fast asleep, resting her head against the window as they drove down the road.

He thought back on their day, his decision to drop everything to help her, meeting her father, her meeting his mom and sister. He felt they'd finally jumped that hurdle that had been standing in their way. Whatever it was that had left that lingering awkwardness or discomfort had been erased. They were certainly friends now if they weren't already, joking and talking with each other. He got the feeling that she'd help him if he needed it, and vice versa.

And yes, she was beautiful, and she didn't judge his family situation, and her father seemed to like him.

But they were just friends.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** I am going away for the weekend, but I wanted to give you just _one_ more update while I could. I'll be in Edmonton until Monday and won't have computer access, so I figured I had better post this now! Enjoy. Let me know what you think!

**----**

It was over a week and a half later when Lucas was sitting, writing mindlessly, at the coffee shop where he and Peyton had gone when they'd first met, when she walked through the door.

Since that day and their spontaneous road trip, they'd been fairly inseparable. Their schedules were different, but they knew when each others' breaks were, and on Mondays, they each had a two hour break in the afternoon. They'd decided to meet at the coffee shop that day to give each other relief from the people in their respective programs.

"Luke!" she said happily as she sat down across from him. He'd already bought her a drink and was waiting patiently for her. "Sorry I'm late."

"It's OK. I was just writing a bit," he said, closing his laptop. "What's up?"

"I just met _the_ hottest guy," she said with a wide smile as he chuckled at her. "Seriously. He's a humanities grad student over at Duke."

"So what's he doing _here_?" Lucas asked with a furrowed brow.

"I dunno," she said as she shrugged her shoulders. "But he is seriously _so_ attractive. Dark hair, green eyes..."

"Did he talk to you or did you talk to him?"

"Why does that matter?" she asked incredulously.

"It matters, trust me," he insisted.

"Why, though?"

"Because when a guy talks to you, he's really, genuinely interested. When girls talk to guys, sometimes we're just kind of like..." he started, but didn't want to finish for fear of sounding like a jerk.

"What?"

"When girls talk to guys, we'll just kind of go with it because..."

"You want to get laid?" she suggested.

"Exactly," he nodded, making her laugh. "So?"

"He talked to me," she informed him.

"Did he really? Or are you just saying that now so I don't tell you he's just using you?" he asked with a smirk.

"It's the truth, you jackass!" she cried.

"OK! Sorry!" he said, holding up his hands and laughing at the shocked look on her face.

"He got my number, and literally texted me just as I was walking away. How cute is that?" she asked excitedly.

"Yeah," he said absently. "Cute."

It was a move he'd seen countless times before. He'd never done it, personally, but his first three years at the school, he'd seen plenty of guys do that very thing. And to his surprise, it worked every time. He and Nathan used to laugh at how easily the girls would fall for it. He hadn't expected Peyton to be one of those girls.

And something about her meeting this guy was bugging him, he'd admit. As Haley had been so quick to point out, he was already protective over Peyton. But this felt like more than that, and he needed to ignore it. He wouldn't prove Haley and his mother right. It was completely natural for him to feel a little bit jealous over her meeting another guy. He'd felt something similar when Haley had started dating Nathan. It was more a worry that she'd have less time to hang out with him. He'd gotten so used to spending so much time with Peyton, after all.

"OK, what?" she asked, setting her cup down on the table and clasping her hands in front of her.

"Nothing!" He shook his head for emphasis, but it did nothing to prove his point.

"There's something, Luke, you're being all...not excited for me," she said.

"No, it's not that. I think it's great," he assured her.

"But?"

"But nothing," he insisted with a smile. "Sounds like he's persistent. So when are you going out with him?"

"I still feel like there's something you're not telling me," she said with a raised eyebrow. "We're going out tomorrow night. Just drinks."

"That's good. What's his name?" he asked absently, checking a text message from Haley on his phone.

Peyton could tell there was something going on with him, but he obviously wasn't about to share, and she'd come to know well enough that he didn't talk unless he wanted to. She was a little annoyed that he seemed to want to downplay the significance of her meeting a guy who was actually sweet, but she wasn't about to point that out at the moment. He seemed completely distracted, almost like he wasn't even really interested in what she had to say.

"It's Jared," she said quietly. "Luke, are you alright?"

"What?" he asked quickly. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

"No you're not," she countered, shaking her head. "What's going on?"

"Just having a rough day," he told her, waving off her concern before taking a sip of his drink. "It's nothing."

"Well do you want to talk about it?" she asked, leaning forward a bit to show she was worried about him.

"No, I'm alright," he repeated. "Seriously, Peyton."

The way he said that last part made her back off. He didn't want to talk about it, and so she wouldn't press him for information. That didn't mean that she still didn't want to know. But perhaps it was just not her information to know.

"So how was your class?" he asked, obviously changing the subject.

So she obliged him, and they talked about mostly nothing for far too long, with both of them knowing there were heavier topics they should have been talking about.

Even as she was talking to him about her classes and going on about some Danish artist she was convinced he'd love, he couldn't help feeling like he needed to talk to Haley and get some advice. But that advice would come with an 'I told you so', and he didn't want one of those.

----

Lucas spent Tuesday evening watching a pre-season basketball game with a six-pack, which he only drank half of. He sipped beer and kept himself preoccupied. Peyton had been gone already when he got home from his class. He didn't want to seem like he was waiting up for her, but he was. Definitely. He wanted to know how it went.

When she stepped through the door at 10:00, he was watching a rerun of Scrubs. He glanced over at her, and she was wearing simple jeans and a black satin shirt. She kicked off her heels and moved to flop down on the sofa.

"So?" he asked as nonchalantly as he could.

She let out a sigh and turned to him with a smile on her face. He had his answer.

"Amazing," she said. "He's very sweet. Funny. Smart. I like him."

"That's great, Peyton," he said sincerely.

She didn't tell him that she'd kissed Jared. She didn't tell him that she had another date with the guy on Friday. She just pat him on the knee and stood up, claiming an early morning, and started up the stairs to her room.

So she had a good time. She liked him. He took a deep breath, realized that there was nothing for him to be jealous over, switched off the television, and headed to bed.

----

When Nathan called Lucas that Wednesday, telling him he had tickets for the season opener that Saturday, and a plane ticket waiting for Lucas at the airport for that Friday afternoon, Lucas couldn't have been more thrilled.

Not only did he get to watch his brother's first pro game, but he got to get away from school for a weekend. He'd be seeing his brother, his best friend and his nephew. He was excited, and he couldn't wait to get on that plane.

He was in his room Thursday evening, laying on his bed and reading from one of his text books, when Peyton appeared in the doorway wearing her sweats with her hair in a messy knot.

"Hey," she said, pulling him from his work.

"Hey," he said with a smile, closing his book and setting it on the night stand. "Study break?"

"I'm dying in there. Thought I'd bug you," she said, making him chuckle. "What's up?"

"Nothing, really. Just reading," he said pointlessly, since she'd obviously seen that.

She moved to sit on the bed facing him, and tucked one leg beneath her. She had to admit, he did look pretty cute, sitting there in his plain blue tee shirt and a pair of jeans. His hair was a little messy, no doubt from running his hands through it as he tried to commit what he had been reading to memory.

"So what are you up to this weekend?" she asked as she toyed with the bottom of her pant leg.

"Oh, I'm heading to Atlanta for Nathan's game," he told her, watching as the smile spread on her lips.

He'd printed out the entire schedule and posted it on the fridge, so he'd be able to keep track of all the games. She teased him about it only once before telling him she thought it was sweet that he was so supportive of his brother.

"That's so cool," she said happily. "I'm gonna watch it for sure."

"You should," he nodded. "Plans with Jeremy?"

"It's Jared," she corrected.

He knew that.

He knew that, but he was playing the old 'say the wrong name to pretend you don't care' card. It was petty and juvenile, but it felt right to do it.

"Right."

"Yeah, we're going to dinner tomorrow night," she said, trying to downplay the significance of her 'date'. Truthfully, it was all she'd thought about since the time and place had been confirmed.

"Second date, first kiss scenario," he teased unknowingly.

"Second date, second kiss scenario," she said softly, wincing as she waited for his response.

"You kissed him?" he asked with a smirk, laughing at the expression on her face. She was so cute, with her nose all scrunched and biting her bottom lip.

"He kissed me. But yeah," she admitted. "Is that horrible?"

"No! No, it's not horrible, Peyton," he reassured her, sitting up against his headboard. "You kissed someone you like. Perfectly normal."

"I've just never really been a kiss on the first date kind of girl," she explained hurriedly. "He just...made the move, and I kind of wanted him to, and...wow, I'm oversharing."

He could only laugh at her rambling, since it seemed that she was really nervous to even mention anything to him about it.

"You're not oversharing," he laughed. "If he made the move, that's a good sign."

"You and all your boyish, sage advice," she said with a smile. "Having a guy roommate is going to pay off, isn't it?"

"I'm just saying, the guy talked first, kissed first. He's into you. That's awesome," he said, smiling when his statement made her grin and blush.

And how could he be so jealous when she was obviously so happy? She was smiling and blushing and acting girly, and she was thrilled to have found a seemingly decent guy. He was happy for her.

"You wanna do something?" she asked after a few moments.

"Do something?" He raised his brow and looked at her questioningly, and she smiled again.

"Yeah. Just get out of the house and away from books for a bit," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"What do you wanna do?" he asked, knowing that it didn't really matter.

"Get your basketball," she said before standing and walking out of the room.

"What?" he asked with a laugh.

"Just do it!" she shouted from across the hall.

So he did as he was told, and he met her by the door. She was still in her sweats, and he had no idea what she had planned, but she just told him to follow her.

He bounced the ball as they walked, and after about ten minutes they came to an old, hidden, abandoned basketball court. The hoops had no nets or chains, and the pavement was cracked. There were two single picnic tables on the grass, and weeds growing rampant. He had already fallen in love with the place.

"What...?" he started, stunned that he hadn't discovered the space sooner. He'd lived there three years and had no idea it was there.

"I was walking the other day and came upon this," she said with a smile. He was obviously in awe.

"It's a little rough around the edges, but it's awesome," he noted, looking around. "Let's see how it plays."

"Go for it," she said, moving to sit on the picnic table.

"Come on!" he said, waving her over. "Play with me."

"Luke, I suck," she told him seriously, making him laugh.

"Whatever, who cares!" he said with a shrug, sending up a shot.

She really couldn't argue. So she caught his rebound and dribbled the ball a couple times before moving around him for a lay up.

"Whoa," he laughed. "Where'd that come from?"

"I was a cheerleader," she reminded him with a smile. "I may have picked up a couple things."

He'd laughed the day he found a photo of her and Brooke in matching uniforms and ribbons in their hair. He explained that he would never have guessed she was a cheerleader, then made a boyish remark about how she looked in her uniform, and she'd hit his arm like he was getting so used to her doing when he made comments like that.

"Pretty impressive," he noted playfully.

"Well, I'm glad you were impressed by that, because it's about all I can do," she told him seriously, making him laugh.

They played for almost an hour. She was better than he'd expected her to be, and he went easy on her, and the end result was a tight game, which he won by only 5 points. She joked that she thought he was better than that, though she knew he'd obviously not played his hardest. A few neighbourhood teenagers stepped onto the court just as they were leaving, and talked to Lucas about the game a bit. He didn't mention a state championship or the fact that his brother was an NBA player. He just talked about the game because he loved it. He really _was_ humble.

As they were walking home, as soon as the court was out of sight, Lucas turned to Peyton and spoke words she hadn't expected.

"They said you were hot, by the way."

"What?!" she cried, looking down at her attire. Certainly her black sweat pants and UNC tee didn't do her justice.

"Yup," he said, nodding. "Said you had a 'slammin' body."

"OK, ew," she said disgustedly. "That's just so wrong."

"Take the compliment, Sawyer," he said, nudging her with his elbow.

She'd never been one to take compliments well, and what hit her harder than anything, for some reason, was the smile on his face that led her to believe that _he_ might have thought she was attractive, too. That set into motion a train of thoughts that she couldn't ignore.

"I have a question," she asked after a few moments of silence. "How come guys can be cool when other guys tell them their girl is hot, but if the other guy tells the girl herself, they get all jealous?"

"Because!" he cried indignantly, narrowing his eyes like she'd just spelled out the worst possible scenario. "When it's guy to guy, it's...it's like a mutual appreciation. When a guy goes straight to the girl, that's just...that's disrespectful."

"But he's still saying the same words!" she pointed out.

"_So_ not the same thing, though," he insisted. "If they'd gone straight to you, they'd just be disregarding me, and it'd be like they were hitting on you. Not cool." She let out a laugh and he'd realized what he'd said, and how it made it sound like he was her boyfriend. "I mean, not that you're my girlfriend or whatever, but they didn't know that until I told them."

She just laughed again, because she kind of understood what he was saying. She suspected girls kind of felt the same way, she'd just never met or hung around with the kind of girl who would talk to another girl's boyfriend that way.

And she realized that whatever had been bugging him earlier in the week was obviously not a problem any more. She was happy that whatever was on his mind wasn't weighing him down anymore, and she knew that a weekend away from school would do him good. And if she was being honest, she was kind of excited to have the house to herself for a few days. Not that she didn't love living with him, but she liked her alone time, too.

"So what time do you leave tomorrow?" she asked as they walked up the steps to the house.

"Flight leaves just after noon," he informed her, unlocking the door and pushing it open so she could walk in ahead of him.

"Lucas Scott, are _you_ skipping class?" she asked with wide eyes, feigning awe.

"For a good reason," he explained, smiling when she laughed.

"Alright, I'm gonna make some tea and get back to examining brushstrokes," she said, making him chuckle. "I have an 8:00 o'clock class tomorrow, so I probably won't see you before you go."

"Yeah, probably not."

"Well, have an awesome time," she said, reaching out and wrapping her arms around him. "Take lots of pictures. Do something crazy!"

"Something crazy?" he asked with a laugh.

"Yes. Something crazy," she repeated. She could see he was about to ask another question, so she beat him to it. "Hook up with a cheerleader, or stay out all night or...I dunno, whatever other crazy stuff guys do when they're on vacation."

"You're a bad influence on me, Peyton Sawyer," he teased.

"Whatever!" she cried as she moved to the kitchen. "I'll see you on Sunday night."

"See you Sunday..._Chicken_," he said, still chuckling at the curse she yelled at him as he made his way up the stairs.

Something crazy. He'd have to think about that. He really couldn't see himself doing any of the things she rattled off. And honestly, all he wanted to do was watch a ball game and spend time with his family. He missed them more than he'd ever expected to.

No one other than her dad had ever called her Chicken, and sure, she may have shouted something inappropriate at Luke for adopting that tradition, but she kind of found it hilarious, the way he'd said it. Just a bit of a southern accent had made its way into his speech, and it was actually...attractive.

When she stepped into her room, her phone was blinking, letting her know that she had a text message, and when she read the cute words Jared had written her, she was more than a little anxious to see the guy who had consumed her thoughts since the first day she met him.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** I seem to have left you with the impression that I went to Edmonton just for fun. Nope. It was for work. I mean, it was sort of fun...But I basically worked the entire time. Anyway, enough about that! I am back now, and craving sleeping in my own bed, but I gift you a chapter before I pass out. Consider it a souvenir!

**----**

When Lucas landed in Atlanta, Haley was there waiting at the terminal, with Jamie at her side and holding a handmade sign that said 'Uncle Luke'. He just laughed and walked towards them, hoisting his nephew into his arms and pulling Haley in for a hug. He'd missed them.

They waited at baggage claim and Haley informed him that Nathan had a practice, but would be home to have dinner with them later, and that they had all afternoon to chat. After they returned to the house that Haley insisted was far too big for their little family, she insisted they take a walk with Jamie through the neighbourhood to the park just a few minutes away.

It felt natural and wonderful to be walking down the street, watching Jamie run ahead and pick up stones to toss down the sidewalk.

"So," Haley said during a lull in the conversation, "now that I can see the expressions on your face, tell me more about this Peyton character."

"She's not a character," he laughed. But then he thought about it, and Peyton was definitely a character.

She was sarcastic, and genuinely hilarious most of the time. She was smarter than she'd ever take credit for, and definitely wily, as her father had pointed out. She had no idea that he looked at her in complete awe sometimes at the insightful things she'd say, and he thought that just maybe she could read his mind, the way she'd choose the exact album he wanted to listen to, or the exact takeout he wanted to eat.

"Start talking!"

"She's cool, you know? She's funny and she kind of keeps to herself a bit. Her room is like, forbidden territory," he explained with a laugh. "But we hang out a lot and...I dunno. She's cool."

"She's _cool_?" Haley asked incredulously. "You have met her _father_."

"So! Those were extreme circumstances," he said, waving off her comment.

"OK, maybe so. But you didn't have to take her to meet your mom and Lily," Haley pointed out.

"She's just started dating someone, Hales," he informed her, his tone suggesting that this topic of conversation should be dropped.

"I'm just saying, Lucas, that you haven't really dated anyone since..."

"I haven't met anyone I've wanted to date," he said, cutting her off.

"I just don't want you to pass up a good thing because you're too stubborn to admit that I'm right," she said with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

"Believe it or not, Haley, but not _everything_ I do is connected to you," he teased, throwing his arm around her shoulder.

What he didn't want to say, was that he was definitely being stubborn. At least a little bit. But Peyton was seeing someone, and he wasn't interested in her. They were friends and nothing more.

----

When Peyton woke up on Saturday morning, she hadn't expected to miss the sound of Lucas' music playing softly from his room, or the smell of freshly brewed coffee. He was always up before her, and she'd grown accustomed to those little things. He wasn't reading on the sofa when she went downstairs and she had to pour her own coffee. The bonus was, she could walk around the house in just her tank top and underwear and not have to worry about a thing.

She hadn't yet told Brooke she was going on a date, and she was just about to call and fill her best friend in on all the details when the phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Best friend! Hi!" Brooke chirped happily into the phone. "How are you?"

"I'm great. How are you?" Peyton asked.

"OK wait, you're _great_?" Brooke asked. "What's going on with the hot roommate that you aren't telling me!?" Her voice was thick with barely contained anticipation.

"What?" Peyton asked with a laugh. "What does Lucas have to do with me being great?"

"You tell me," Brooke said, knowing that Peyton would hear the innuendo in that.

"I met someone."

"Yeah. Lucas. Get to the good stuff," Brooke prodded.

"Not Lucas! God!" Peyton cried exasperatedly. "His name's Jared."

"Jared?" Brooke asked. "Who the hell is Jared?"

"He goes to Duke. We went for drinks the other night, and then we had dinner last night," Peyton explained.

"Oh."

Of all the responses Peyton could have expected from her best friend, 'oh' wasn't even on the list. Brooke lived for this kind of gossip.

"Oh?" Peyton asked incredulously. "I tell you I go on two dates with a guy and you say 'oh'?"

"I just totally thought you and Luke would have slept together by now," Brooke said. Peyton could almost picture her shrugging her shoulders.

"We've barely even known each other a month!" Peyton exclaimed.

"So! Who waits a month to sleep with someone?" Brooke asked, as though it was the most absurd notion in the world.

"Anyway," Peyton continued, "he's great. Really sweet, so hot, smart, funny. He has great taste in music..."

"Wait, who are we talking about here?"

"Jared!"

"Oh. Just seems like you've got a lot of really sweet, hot, smart, funny guys in your life right now, Peyton," Brooke pointed out seriously. "I'm actually kind of pissed that you haven't shown me pictures of your roomie yet."

"Pictures? _Why_ would I take pictures of Lucas?" Peyton asked.

"Because he's gorgeous!"

"So! I'm not going to take pictures of him," Peyton said, hiding a laugh.

"You just basically admitted that you think he's gorgeous," Brooke said slyly.

"Oh my God, why do I even talk to you?" Peyton asked teasingly.

"Peyton, you know I'm just joking. I mean, if you and hottie roommate boy aren't going to get it on, that just means that someone else has a chance with him. Now tell me more about Jared."

So Peyton told Brooke about both evenings with Jared, but something Brooke said was making her mind race. Someone else has a chance with Lucas. It shouldn't have bothered her, but it did, a little bit. She couldn't really see him with a girlfriend, but she wasn't sure why that was the case.

And then Jared called and asked her to a matinee at the old cinema in town, and she stopped thinking about Lucas altogether.

----

It was strange for Lucas to wake up and hear noise coming from the kitchen. He was always the first one up. He liked that first hour or so in the morning, knowing there was someone else in the house, but that he was the only one awake.

He made his way to the kitchen to find Haley and Jamie there, eating breakfast. Haley had cooked a feast, it seemed, and she fixed him a plate while he poured himself a cup of coffee.

He actually found himself missing the moment he heard that other door upstairs open, and that sleepy blonde walk downstairs, grumbling what might have been a good morning before she started on her first cup of coffee. He kind of missed Peyton in general.

But then he sat down to eat what Haley had prepared, and he realized how much he'd missed his best friend. She always took care of the three Scott boys.

"Nathan's sleeping in?" he inquired after taking a bite of bacon.

"He'll be down in a sec. They just have a short workout this morning, then he'll nap and have dinner, then it's game time," Haley explained. It was kind of pointless, she realized, since it was the same game day schedule Nathan had kept for the three years prior. Now it was just on a bigger stage.

Just then, Nathan trotted down the stairs in his workout gear, ready for breakfast and to go to his practice. They'd all talked for a while the night before, catching up on each others' lives, though they still talked so often. Lucas was more interested in hearing about what it was like to be a pro ball player, and Nathan was concerned about Duke's team, since he hadn't really gotten a chance to follow much.

The one thing Nathan hadn't asked about the night before, much to Lucas' surprise, was Peyton. It seemed however, that morning, that curiosity had gotten the best of him.

"So how are things going with the hot roommate?" Nathan asked as he sat down at the table and tossed one of Jamie's Cheerios into his mouth.

"You guys suck, you know that?" Lucas said, shaking his head at the grinning couple.

"Seriously? You into her yet?" Nathan asked. "And that's not anything dirty, I just meant..."

"Nathan Scott!" Haley cried, swatting his arm.

"How do you even know she's hot?" Lucas asked.

"Your mom said so," Nathan said, shrugging his shoulders. "And you, my friend, just admitted that you think she's hot."

"What are you, a psych major?" Lucas muttered, making Haley and Nathan laugh. "Doesn't matter. She's seeing someone."

"But you don't want her to be," Nathan stated, as though it weren't even up for debate.

"It doesn't matter. I'm not into her," Lucas insisted for what felt like the thousandth time.

"But if you were into her...I mean, how would that work?" Nathan asked with a smirk. "Would you be sneaking across the hall, or would it be like...?"

"Dude, seriously," Lucas warned. "It's not like that. I don't know why no one understands that. It's like the only people on the same page here are me and Peyton."

"That sounds suspicious, doesn't it, Hales," Nathan said, turning to his wife. "The _only_ one who understands him is the girl he's _not_ interested in. Doesn't make much sense."

"OK. Alright," Lucas said, holding up his hands. "For the last time, there's nothing going on. We're just friends. She's seeing someone. I do not have feelings for her."

"But you think she's hot," Nathan stated.

"I'm a guy! I can notice that a woman is attractive without jumping into a relationship with her," he said seriously as he set down his mug again.

"Mama, what's attr-attra...?" Jamie started.

"Attractive, Jamie. It means that Lucas thinks Peyton is pretty," she said, casting a sideward glance to her brother-in-law.

"Do you kiss?" Jamie asked innocently, making Nathan almost choke on his orange juice, and Lucas shake his head at this little family's shenanigans.

"No, Jamie, we don't kiss," Lucas explained.

"When daddy calls mommy pretty, they kiss," he pointed out, making Haley laugh this time as Nathan smiled proudly at his son.

"I'm sorry!" she said, still laughing when Lucas shot her a look. "Even the three year old gets it."

"That's 'cause our boy's a genius," Nathan said, lifting Jamie up and raising him above his head, making the boy laugh and giggle.

Lucas just sat back and finished his coffee as he watched Nathan interact with Jamie. It shouldn't have felt so foreign to him, considering he'd lived with it for three years, but it just felt like they were all in different places. Nathan had moved on from school; had a real career. Haley was finishing her schooling, and Jamie was growing like a weed. It was a glimpse into what he hoped his life would be like one day.

----

Peyton was home that evening after her afternoon spent with Jared, and she'd settled in to watch the game.

There was a feature on the pre-game show on Nathan Scott, how he went from state champion, to Blue Devil, to Atlanta Hawks star rookie, and Peyton got far too excited about it, considering she'd never actually met the guy.

She dialed Brooke's number just for someone to share the moment with.

"Hello?"

"Brooke! Are you at home?" she asked excitedly.

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me I have no plans on a Saturday," she grumbled. "Why?"

"Turn on ESPN," Peyton demanded.

"What? I don't even know what _language_ that is," Brooke said with a laugh.

"Just do it," Peyton laughed. "Nathan is on."

"Who the hell is Nathan?" Brooke asked. She did as she was told and switched to the channel she'd never watched in her life.

"Nathan is Lucas' brother," Peyton explained.

"Hot!" Brooke cried gleefully as she caught a glimpse of the man on the screen. "Is that a wedding ring?"

"Yeah, he's married to Luke's best friend," Peyton said nonchalantly.

"Really? How old is he?"

"Our age," Peyton said.

"How are they the same age?" Brooke asked in confusion.

"Different moms. It's a long story," Peyton said quickly, brushing off the constant questioning.

"He's hot, though," Brooke muttered softly. "I bet Lucas is hotter."

"Don't start!" Peyton warned.

"Whatever! I'm just saying..."

"Don't just say!" Peyton cried as she laughed.

"Is that it? You don't expect me to watch a full basketball game, do you?" Brooke inquired. She hadn't done that since she was a cheerleader in high school.

"No, you don't have to. I was just...wanting to share with someone," Peyton said softly.

"You _miss_ him, don't you?" Brooke asked seriously. There was no underlying joke or teasing tone. It was just an observation that stemmed from knowing her best friend so well for so long.

"I...Yeah. I mean, you get used to having someone around, you know?"

"Well, he'll be home tomorrow," Brooke sang. And _there_ was the teasing tone. "Take pictures!"

"Brooke..."

"OK, OK," Brooke conceded. "Have fun watching this. I'm gonna go."

"OK. Bye, Brooke."

----

Midway through the game, Haley stole Lucas' cell phone from the table he'd set it on in their private box, and snapped a photo of him holding Jamie in his arms. Both blondes were smiling widely. It was a candid moment, and Lucas didn't know Haley even had his phone until she set it back down.

What he didn't know, was that she'd very, very sneakily sent the photo to Peyton's phone. She wasn't sure what made her do it, but Lucas had mentioned the day before that Peyton thought Jamie was the cutest little boy she'd ever seen. Certainly the girl would appreciate the picture - and just maybe the man in it. And Haley James Scott was nothing if not just a little bit of a meddler.

When Peyton got the photo, she took an audible breath at how adorable it was, and smiled widely. She studied the picture for a moment before sending it through to Brooke.

She wasn't surprised when, moments later, she received a text from her best friend.

_'OMG! Please, please sleep with him!' _

She could only laugh at that response. She should have known that Brooke would have just pushed her a little harder upon seeing what Lucas looked like.

----

Peyton was laying on the sofa, nursing a glass of wine and listening to some mid '90s R&B - something she rarely did, but occasionally was in the mood for - on Sunday evening when Lucas stepped through the door. She looked over at him and smiled. He seemed somehow lighter. The break had obviously done him some good.

She looked cute, he observed, laying there in her little striped shorts and black tank top, just listening to music and doing nothing else.

"Hey," he said, dropping his bag by the door. He walked to the sofa and stood, waiting for her to move her legs, which she did after heaving a sigh and rolling her eyes dramatically.

"So?" she asked.

"What?"

"You had a good weekend," she stated.

"I did," he said with a nod. "It was great to spend time with them again."

"Yeah, you and Jamie looked like you were having fun," she said with a smile, watching as he furrowed his brow in confusion. "The picture."

"What picture?" he asked, before he realized that Haley was not only sneaky, but forward, as well. "Oh, Haley is so dead."

"Seriously, it's so cute," she said before taking a sip of her wine.

"He's gonna be a heartbreaker," he said, shaking his head, speaking of Jamie to take the focus off himself. "How was your weekend? Ooo, how was the date?"

He seemed enthusiastic and excited for her, so she didn't feel weird telling him about her date, and the subsequent movie she caught with Jared on Saturday.

"It was great. I really like him, Luke," she said sincerely.

"That's awesome," he said with a smile.

"You want a glass of wine? I'm just listening to a little..."

"Erykah Badu," he filled in.

"You know Erykah Badu?" she asked incredulously. She'd never tabbed him for a neo-soul fan.

"I know more than you think," he said, locking eyes with her. "I'm actually gonna head to bed. It's been a long few days."

"Yeah, I bet," she said quietly as he stood. "'Night, Luke."

"'Night."

She was left in the living room, wondering what he meant by that one statement. _'I know more than you think.'_ She sat for the next two hours, long after the album had ended, trying to decipher what he was talking about. Even more than that, she had to ask herself - repeatedly - why she cared so much.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **A couple people asked me if Jared is Jared from Supernatural. No. Jared is just a name I pulled from nowhere (though Jared from Supernatural is definitely attractive). I will say that your fears about him should be erased in this chapter.

**----**

Another two weeks passed, during which Peyton grew closer and closer to Jared. She spent at least three evenings a week hanging out with him, and Lucas seemed genuinely happy for her. She still hadn't introduced the two men, knowing, somehow, that it just wasn't time yet. She didn't want Lucas to disapprove of Jared, and she didn't want Jared to question the friendly banter she shared with Lucas.

She had to wonder both why she cared so much about Lucas' opinion, and why she was so protective of her relationship with him.

But one Friday evening, Lucas got a call from Peyton that was short and had him worried. She just said his name, and the name of a bar not too far from their house, and he knew it was somehow an invitation.

Or a cry for help.

He didn't hesitate to abandon the game he was watching - Nathan was playing that night - and make the walk to the bar.

There was something in her voice that was telling him without words that she needed him. And they were friends. Good friends. If he needed her she'd be there for him, so he would be there for her. Haley hadn't given up her constant hinting at a blossoming relationship, but he did his best to ignore her. He also ignored the feeling that sometimes he just couldn't ignore her.

He did however, get worried and protective upon hearing Peyton's voice on the line that night.

He stepped into the bar, a dive by any description, and noticed there weren't many patrons there. Both Duke and UNC had sporting events going on that night, which meant that most students were otherwise engaged. He noticed the blonde girl sitting at the bar, a few empty shot glasses in front of her, and a couple guys across the room eyeing her. He was sure to make it abundantly clear that he was moving to sit next to her. He offered a slight wave and a smile, and placed his hand on her back as he slid onto the stool next to her. It may have been possessive and he couldn't really explain it, but he didn't think too much more about it. He had bigger concerns.

"What's going on, Peyton?" he asked. It wasn't casual or merely a pleasantry. It was a concerned question, wondering why she was sitting alone at the bar and bleary eyed from alcohol.

"Luke!" she cried happily, the trademark of a drunk girl. "Luke, have a shot."

"By the looks of it, I think you've had enough for the both of us," he said, unable to hide his smile at her drunken state as she threw her arm around his shoulder. But he shot the bartender a bit of a glare nonetheless. To say she'd been over served would have been an understatement.

"Come on. Just one," she pleaded before giving him her best puppy dog eyes. He was surprised she could still do it without looking absolutely ridiculous. "Please? For me."

"For you, huh?" he asked with a grin, unable to ignore the hopeful look in her eyes. "Just one."

"Yes!" she shouted excitedly, waving over the bartender.

He watched as the man behind the bar cut her vodka with water and Lucas sent him an appreciative nod. The two shot glasses were set in front of them, and she didn't hesitate to wrap her fingers around hers.

"OK Peyt, what are we drinking to?" he asked, hoping to get a straight answer out of her, but knowing instinctively that he wouldn't.

"We're drinking to get drunk," she said, almost vulnerably, before clinking her glass against his and draining its contents. He followed suit, just to appease her, and one shot wouldn't even affect him.

But one shot turned into two, and two turned into three, and then Lucas finally convinced her that it was time to go home. She linked her arm through his and they started home, walking the 20 minute distance in the early fall air.

By the time they got home, she was groggy and tired. He helped her into her room and he went back downstairs to grab a glass of water and a couple Advil while she slipped into her pajamas. He couldn't really explain the palpable need to take care of her, but it was there, and he was doing it.

She was laying in her bed when he returned. She was covered up and she'd managed to pull her hair up, but he could tell she was about to fall asleep any second.

"Thank you," she slurred as he placed the pills in her hand, then he watched her chase them with water. She pushed the glass back towards him, but he wouldn't take it.

"Drink the whole thing," he instructed. "You'll thank me in the morning."

"You're so good to me Luke," she said quietly between long sips of water.

"OK, you lush, get some sleep," he said with a laugh, wanting to disregard her statement. He took the empty glass and placed it on the night stand, and she looked up at him before letting her eyes close.

"I mean it," she said, her eyes fluttering open. "I wish more guys were like you."

He gazed down at her for a moment, her cheeks flushed and her eyes glazed over. He brushed a loose piece of hair away from her face and she blinked slowly, and he knew she was drifting off.

"I guess they just aren't that lucky," he joked, speaking softly.

He waited, for a reason he couldn't explain, until he knew she was asleep before standing from her bed and making his way out of her room. It was late and it was pitch black in the hall, but he stood for a moment, worried about the girl who had so quickly become one of his closest friends.

It took him a while to get to sleep that night, trying to get his mind to stop racing, wondering what had happened that had made her fall apart. Eventually he just forced himself to sleep, knowing he'd talk to her and hopefully get the full story in the morning.

----

He was in the kitchen, reading the back of the box of the Honey Nut Cheerios as he spooned his breakfast into his mouth and sipped coffee. Normally, she would have made a crack about him constantly needing something to read. This morning, however, she was completely disheveled, pulling her hair up into a messy ponytail and walking clumsily into the kitchen.

"Hey boozy," he said with a grin, making her groan something that may have been a choice four letter word, though it was pretty indecipherable. "How you feeling?"

"Ugh," she grumbled, pouring a cup of coffee and slumping into the chair next to him.

"How much alcohol did you even drink?" he asked, suddenly sympathetic.

"I don't know. All of it?" she offered, making him snicker as she rest her head in her hands. "Tell me I didn't throw up near you."

"No," he laughed softly. "No throwing up, surprisingly. But you were slurring and stumbling all over the place. People were looking at me like I was a complete asshole."

"What? Why?" she asked, eyes wide and worried.

"Come on, guy with the drunk girl on his arm and taking her home? I probably looked like a total perv," he pointed out. "I guess you're lucky I saved you from someone who might have been."

"Oh God," she groaned again. "I hate myself right now."

"You wanna tell me the motives behind the bender?" he asked seriously before taking another sip of coffee.

"Turns out Jared's a total jerk," she said softly, looking down into her mug. "I don't even know why I bother. Men are such...ugh."

He felt bad for her, he did. He knew how much she'd liked Jared, how much she'd gone on about the sweet things he'd done and said. She'd gone so far as to say that she thought it could turn into a real relationship. He didn't know the specifics, but he knew it couldn't be good.

"Maybe you just need to...pick your fruit from higher branches," he offered.

"I am like...level 12 on the hangover scale, and you're speaking in proverbs?" she asked incredulously, making him chuckle. "That's it. I'm giving up men."

"Oh, I _knew_ having a female roommate would pay off," he said, smirking boyishly and leaning back in his chair.

"You _are_ a total perv," she teased, shaking her head at him. "I meant, I am going to stop actively looking for the guy. I'm just gonna let it happen."

"Let it happen?" he asked with a smile. He knew he could have pointed out that Jared _had_ gone to her, but he wouldn't bring it up at that moment. "That's probably a good idea. I mean, think of all the money you'll save on alcohol."

"Oh, trust me, spending money on alcohol won't be an issue after this hangover," she complained, closing her eyes again.

He laughed and stood from his place, setting his dishes in the sink and grabbing a couple bottles of water from the fridge.

"So what are you up to today?" she asked, taking the bottle from him and watching as he leaned back against the counter.

"Actually, I went out for a run this morning and stopped for a bunch of movies. I figured you wouldn't want to do much today," he explained with a shrug of his shoulders.

"When did you get time to go out this morning?" she asked, shaking her head.

"Peyton, it's 11:00," he laughed. "And _I_ wasn't sleeping off an entire bottle of Grey Goose."

"OK, can we not talk about my lapse in judgement anymore?" she said with a laugh.

"What do you say?" he asked after he stopped laughing. "You, me, the couch, and a John Hughes marathon."

"That sounds perfect," she conceded. "As long as I don't have to change. Or shower. Or do anything other than lay on the sofa in the dark."

"That's all?" he teased. "Come on, Blondie. I'll get you some Advil, and I picked up some Gatorade for you."

"Gatorade?" she asked, looking at him with a furrowed brow before he left the room.

"Hangover cure," he explained, but that didn't wipe the confused look off her face. "Two Advil and a glass of water before bed, Two Advil and a bottle of Gatorade in the morning."

"And just how did you come up with that?" she asked, standing from her place and setting her empty mug in the sink.

"I've had my fair share of relationship troubles," he said vaguely.

They'd never really talked about him. They'd never really talked about relationships at all, actually. It was work or school or family, but never past relationships, and she wondered why. She was about to ask him for more details, but he'd disappeared from the room and she got the impression that he didn't really want to talk about it anyway.

She wondered when they'd cross that barrier. Sure, they were great friends, and had gotten to that point quickly, but they didn't talk about past relationships or heartbreaks. He knew about Mike, because he'd witnessed it, and he knew about Jared. He didn't know about any of her other relationships. She didn't know anything about his personal life at all, really. She'd met a few of his buddies who he played ball with or watched games with, but outside of that, he was a closed book.

"What do you want to start with?" he asked as she made her way to the sofa.

"Uh, The Breakfast Club," she said, like it was the most obvious answer in the world.

She pulled the shades and turned off the lights, and grabbed a blanket from the closet. She snuggled into a little ball on the sofa, and Lucas could only laugh when he saw her, her eyes just poking out of her little cocoon enough to see the television.

Halfway through the movie, Peyton straightened up and turned to look at Lucas, and he shot her a sideward glance, knowing she was about to ask him something.

"What's your favourite John Hughes movie?" she inquired, as though it was the most important question she could ever ask and that he'd better think of his answer carefully.

"Pretty in Pink," he stated without skipping a beat.

"Really?" For all the things she knew about him, she certainly hadn't expected that.

"Totally," he responded, like it were the the most obvious choice. "That whole, wrong side of the tracks thing. It always kind of gave me hope that a kid like me could...I dunno..."

"Luke, you're hardly from the wrong side of the tracks," she laughed.

"That's not what people in Tree Hill thought. I guess when you're the mayor's bastard son, people don't exactly think you're the class of the town."

Something about the way he had described himself made her feel absolutely awful. It killed her to think that he actually ever felt that way. She certainly didn't want him to think that way any more.

"But look at you now," she said with a smile. "You're like, the kindest, classiest guy I've ever met."

"Classy?" he asked with a laugh. "I'm sitting here in my sweat pants, sipping apple juice from a juice box like a four year old."

"Whatever, you know what I mean," she said, swatting his arm. He could only laugh at her.

Until she moved a little closer to him and settled herself into his side a bit. His arm was draped over the back of the sofa, creating the perfect cradle for her. He didn't question it or pull away, or shift at all. He just let her get comfortable against him, and let his arm fall around her once she was settled.

It wasn't until the movie was over that he realized she was asleep. He simply couldn't wake her, knowing that the sleep would make her feel better after the night she'd had. Luckily, the remote was at his disposal, so he flipped channels until he found a game, and then just let her sleep against him for the next hour until she stirred.

"Mmm," she mumbled. There was a contentment in her tone that made his heart race just a little bit. She looked up at him and closed her eyes when she saw him smirk. "Oh, wow. Sorry."

"It's OK," he said softly as she moved away from him and rubbed her eye sleepily.

It was then that she realized that Lucas was the only man since her first love that she'd ever really let see her like this. No makeup, messy hair, in just her pajamas which were still rumpled from sleeping. She was just comfortable with him, and it was kind of nice not to have to worry about looking her best.

What she didn't know, was that Lucas was looking at her, wondering how she could still be so beautiful with no makeup, messy hair, in just her pajamas which were still rumpled from sleeping.

They sat for a bit in silence, just watching a random baseball game, her sipping from her glass of water and him crunching on a few chips. It was early in the afternoon, and she hadn't really had anything to eat yet, and so when she reached over and stole a few from the bowl he had in his lap, she shot him a wink when he glared at her teasingly. All was forgiven when he saw that wink and her smile and she tossed a chip into her mouth.

"So, you wanna talk to me about Jared?" he asked seriously at the 7th inning stretch.

"No," she said softly. "But you want me to."

"How am I supposed to play therapist without knowing what's going on?" he asked with a smirk. That smirk somehow always made her let her guard down.

She heaved a sigh and looked to the ceiling, leaning her head back against the sofa.

"He left me a voicemail about an hour before we were supposed to meet for dinner," she explained. "He said he couldn't make it."

"OK?" Lucas said confusedly. He'd generally thought it was a good thing when guys called and didn't leave girls waiting for them in restaurants.

"Except I didn't get the voicemail since my phone was off, and I went to the restaurant anyway," she said solemnly.

"Peyton," he said softly, shaking his head. He had an idea where the story was headed.

"He was sitting there canoodling with some slutty redhead," she added, for good measure. "So...yeah...shots helped."

"Where do you find these guys?" he asked, shaking his head.

"They find me!" she proclaimed. "And that's the worst part, you know? Like, what vibe am I putting out there that's attracting these losers?"

"You're not putting out a vibe, Peyton," he insisted seriously. "Guys are just idiots. It has nothing to do with you."

"I guess," she said softly.

"Can I make fun of you for using the word 'canoodling' now?" he asked with a smirk, laughing when she glared at him. "But seriously, Peyt, I know you say you're off men or whatever, but we're just morons sometimes."

"OK, but why do you insist on proving it?" she inquired. He could have taken that as a joke, but her tone let him know that it wasn't one; that she was really just tired of being hurt.

"I guess some guys just don't know a good woman when they see one," he said, smiling as he spoke.

Why that statement made her stomach flutter was beyond her. It was a compliment, though he'd wanted to disguise it. She sighed and thought of Jared for what she promised herself was the last time. She wouldn't waste thoughts or emotions on him anymore. Not when Lucas was sitting next to her, looking somehow like the most attractive man she'd ever seen, and saying perfect things to her.

Why the _hell_ was she thinking about him that way?

"Thanks, Luke," she said softly, locking eyes with him. "For last night and today."

"That's what friends do, right?" he said with a shrug of his shoulders and a bit of a smirk. She was growing increasingly fond of that smirk. "And today's not over yet, is it, Blondie?"

"Uh oh," she said with a chuckle. "What else do you have planned."

"We have three more movies sitting here!" he reminded her. "I mean, if you think you can stay awake."

"I'll do my best," she muttered, making him laugh again.

She stood from the sofa and stretched, and he found himself stealing a glimpse of her flat stomach when her top rode up. But he would have done the same thing with any other girl.

Right?

"I'm going to make some food, though," she said as she walked back into the kitchen.

"By 'make food', I hope you mean 'order pizza'," he called after her teasingly.

"What!?" she cried indignantly. "I can cook!"

"No you can't! You can make sandwiches," he scoffed.

She appeared in the doorway with a scowl on her face, and he started taking her seriously. He knew her playful looks and her angry looks, and _this_ was an angry look.

"I'll have you know that I'm a _great_ cook," she said with a hand on her hip. "You and I just don't eat at the same times very often."

"I apologize," he said sincerely, holding his hands up in defeat.

"_However_," she said dramatically, holding up her index finger, "I am far too hung over to do anything, so I _was_ going to order pizza. My treat."

He could only laugh at her serious tone as she admitted that he had correctly guessed her intentions.

"I can't say no to that."

They spent the rest of their evening laughing together and eating pizza and telling stories. She explained about her father's 'culinary skills' (or lack of) and how she came to take up cooking on her own. He told her about all the tricks he picked up from his mom from years of working in the café when he was growing up.

They were comfortable. Nothing was awkward or forced, and it felt to Lucas like he'd known her far longer than just barely a couple months. She was funny and she didn't get offended by the jokes he made. She'd laugh even if they weren't necessarily conventionally funny, but not just to humour him. They were just similar.

She fell asleep again, this time with her legs draped over his lap, and he found himself idly running his hand up and down her smooth calf. It wasn't on purpose, really, and he didn't realize he was doing it until she woke up and looked over at him through bleary eyes with a little smile on her face.

She knew he couldn't tell, but her stomach was doing backflips and her mind was racing. Part of her was telling her to lean over and kiss him, but another part of her told her to just leave it be. Just let that moment stand on its own. There was nothing between them more than friendship.

But he was gorgeous, and his hands felt perfect on the bare skin of her legs, and every time he looked at her, she had to keep herself from asking him what the hell was _really_ happening between them.

And she really, really hated when Brooke was right.


	8. Chapter 8

Once Peyton realized that she felt more for Lucas than just friendship, she had no idea how to act around him.

She she tried not to be around him.

She hid out in the library between classes and after school, and hung out with friends from her classes when she knew he'd be home. It was silly and childish, but it worked. She didn't have to try to act 'normal' around him. When she was home, she stayed in her room, only speaking to him when they bumped into each other.

She just hadn't really had a 'crush' on someone in a long time. A _really_ long time. Sure, she'd gone on dates and had feelings for guys, but it was always reciprocal. She realized that made her sound conceited, so she didn't talk to anyone - not even Brooke - about her newly developed feelings for Lucas.

And then she tried to pinpoint the moment she started feeling something for him, and she realized that it was well before the day they spent in the dark in their living room.

She thought that maybe, somehow, she'd had feelings for him since that first day she had spoken to him on campus. He'd been kind and funny; clever and sweet. He wasn't like the other guys she knew, and she had known that from the first moment they spoke.

And then he was there for her after the disastrous party. She moved in with him. He helped her through that rough day, traveling with her to Wilmington to do the one thing she needed to do. He met her father, and let her into his world.

Other than that, however, there was nothing. He made no moves to let her know that any of her feelings were mutual, and so she really didn't know what to do.

So the avoidance continued.

She was sitting in the library, at the best table in the place - next to the window in the back of the room, far from the front door. She loved that table, and she was usually the only one sitting there. It was like her secret little space, where she could do her school work and listen to music, or draw and listen to music, and no one would find her.

Until that day. The Thursday after the day they'd spent together and she realized everything that would eventually be weighing her down for days. If she had known that at the time, she would have ignored his hands on her skin and the little winks he'd give her or the way he smelled when she was curled into his side. Ignoring those things, she knew on some level, would have been impossible.

"Wow," a voice called out before sitting across from her. "Hi. I'm Lucas."

He extended his hand across the table, and she rolled her eyes.

"You look kind of like this girl I used to know, but then she just, _poof_, disappeared," he continued with a smirk.

"Poof?" she asked with a raised brow.

"Poof."

She laughed because she didn't know what else to do, and she thanked the gods that she had already flipped over her sketchbook so he couldn't see what she'd been drawing. She hoped he hadn't seen it before he'd made himself known. She really didn't know how long he'd been there before he sat down, and she _really_ didn't want him to see what she was working on. It was a portrait of him that she'd been drawing from memory since she sat down an hour earlier, and it may have been the best thing she'd ever drawn. But she wouldn't - couldn't - show anyone.

"How are you?" he asked. "Busy lately, huh?"

He was oblivious. And that tore at her heart a little.

"Yeah, just got some stuff going on," she said vaguely, placing her sketchbook in her bag and pulling out a text book.

"You want to talk about it?' he asked compassionately. "I've hardly seen you this week. I was worried about you."

He was oblivious. But he still knew all the right words to make her want him. It was things like that, the sweetness and caring, that made it so easy to think of him that way.

"I'm good," she said, though she suspected he wouldn't buy it. "Just...school and stuff, you know? Busy week."

"Same here," he said, pointing to the stack of books he'd set down next to him. "I was going to see about being a T.A., but I really don't think I'll have time."

"Yeah, I'm barely keeping my head above water," she mumbled, opening her book to the page she needed.

She didn't say anything more, and he wondered what was really going on with her. He knew her well enough to know that there was more than just school making her so closed off. He hadn't seen her like this in the entire time he'd known her, and it was bothering him that she wasn't filling him in on whatever it was that had her thrown off-balance.

She could barely concentrate on her reading, because he was looking at her still, and it wasn't unnerving her, but it was making her want to slam her book closed and just blurt out that he either had to do something about it, or stop looking at her at all. All she wanted was to lean across the table and place a hand on his stubbled cheek and press her lips to his.

But she couldn't.

So instead, she just kept reading, and kept trying to ignore him, just like she'd been doing for days.

It was getting really, really damn hard to do it, though.

"Are you sure you're OK?" he asked skeptically.

"I'm fine, Luke," she bit out, perhaps a little too harshly. "Just have a lot of reading to do, that's all." Her voice had softened, and she threw a small smile his way, making him nod and smile back before opening his own book.

He didn't believe her. Not even a little bit. There was something bothering her, and it was killing him that he didn't know what it was.

Since the weekend prior, she'd consumed his every second thought. He missed her. There were times when she was just across the hall from him, behind her closed bedroom door, and he felt a million miles away from her. That affected him more than it probably should have.

All he could think about was the way she tucked into his side and fell asleep, or how the smooth skin of her amazing legs felt beneath his hands. Everything about her was perfect, except for this. The closed off and distant part of her that he got the impression was her defense from letting anyone get too close to her. He didn't know why she was doing it, but he kind of hated it.

He knew that asking her again or telling her to just open up to him would make her even more annoyed with him than she already seemingly was. So he just fixed his eyes on the text in front of him and they sat there together, reading in silence.

After a while, his presence was far too distracting. She could smell his cologne, and his every move was pulling her attention from her work. The way his head tilted slightly to the side as he read, or how he'd toy with the bottom right hand corner of the page with his thumb and index finger. How he'd led out a breathy laugh when he came to something that obviously made him think, or the way he'd play with the pen in his hand after jotting down notes.

So when she stood and started packing up her things, she didn't say a word to him before slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"Done?" he asked when he realized she wasn't going to talk to him. He couldn't say he was thrilled to know that.

"Sort of," she muttered. "I'll see you at home."

"Will you?" he inquired, locking eyes with her.

"What does that mean?" she asked defensively, placing a hand on her hip.

That tone, and that action, and the way her brow was furrowed, absolutely terrified him.

"We just hardly see each other," he said softly, shrugging his shoulders. "I kind of miss hanging out with you."

Damn him. She really couldn't be angry with him when he did that. When he got all cute and quiet and flashed those blue eyes that made her hostility waver.

"I know," she said softly. "I'm just...I'm gonna go."

"Are you walking?" he asked. "I don't want you walking alone in the dark."

"You sound like my dad," she teased. He just laughed and gathered his things. "Luke, come on, you have work to do. I'll be fine."

"You _will_ be fine, because you won't be alone. No arguing," he said, throwing his bag over his shoulder and walking past her. "Come on, Blondie."

The nicknames and the cute teasing and the obvious concern were not helping her at all. This crush wasn't going to go away with him acting like that.

She followed him out of the library, checking him out as she did so. If everything about him wasn't so damn perfect, it'd be really a lot easier not to have feelings for him. But when he turned around and winked at her before pulling the door open for her, her heart fluttered.

She hated her stupid fluttering heart, and her stupid gorgeous roommate, and her stupid best friend for moving away so she'd have to move in with this guy in the first place.

She walked briskly down the sidewalk towards their house, leaving him trailing behind her.

"People are going to think I'm stalking you," he said, jogging to catch up with her. "You wanna tell me what's going on?"

"No. I don't," she said sternly, but just gently enough to not be bitchy. "I'm fine. I think I'm just really tired."

"I just thought you were mad at me or something," he said with a shrug of his shoulders.

The last thing he wanted was her to be mad at him for anything. He really didn't know what he would have done to piss her off, but she certainly seemed to be pissed off.

"Lucas, I'm not mad at you," she said urgently, stopping in her tracks.

"Are you sure?" he asked, looking to the ground.

"I'm sure," she said.

She couldn't help herself, and she reached out and placed her hand on his forearm. She regretted it immediately, because all she wanted to do was touch more of him.

And that was bad news.

She retracted her hand quickly, and he felt the loss of her touch far more than he should have. But then she tucked her hair behind her ear in the most adorable way and started walking again, and all he could do was follow her.

And following her felt like the most natural thing he'd ever done.

----

Lucas had the Friday from hell. Really, the worst day on record.

His alarm didn't go off, in turn making him late for his first class of the day and making him have to skip the first cup of coffee. Then, when he went to buy himself a cup, he realized he'd forgotten his wallet at home. Not only that, but his student ID card was in there, and he needed it to attend the special lecture he was scheduled for the afternoon. He'd had to sprint home to get it, and barely made it back to school on time.

Afterward, he ran into a girl he went on a couple dates with and never called again, and he had to go through the excruciating process of explaining to her why they never went out again. You'd think that after almost a year she would have gotten over it.

By the end of his school day, he'd had enough and just wanted to get home, when one of his class mates called him and reminded him of a study group that he'd so clearly forgotten about. Of course, it was across campus and he was already late, and he'd had to run to that as well. He stopped for a coffee before heading into the library, and then someone bumped into him and the coffee fell to the floor, covering the bottom of his jeans in the process.

By the time he got home it was 7:00, and he was exhausted and frustrated, and all he wanted to do was have a beer and maybe watch a couple basketball games before heading to bed.

But when he stepped through the door he could smell something amazing cooking, and the dining room table was set with candles and fresh flowers, and one of his favourite albums was playing. He had no idea what was going on, but he was a little annoyed, though he really didn't want to be.

He couldn't be upset with Peyton for having people over, it was just the worst possible day for her to do it.

The house was spotless - he made a note to thank her for that later - but he just kicked off his shoes and headed for the stairs. He heard her in the kitchen, doing something or another, but he assumed she had a lot on the go and he didn't want to get in her way. He'd just hide out in his room for the evening.

"Luke?" she called, appearing in the doorway before he could start up the stairs.

"Hey," he said with a forced smile. "Company coming?"

"What?" she asked in confusion. "No!"

"Then what...?"

"I decided to prove to you that I can cook," she said, smiling at him as he closed his eyes and sighed.

"Are you serious?" he asked, his mood already lifting.

She made him dinner. She put on his favourite music and lit candles, and looked _so_ adorable in her little apron. And whatever it was that she was cooking smelled absolutely incredible.

"Yeah," she said. "You smell like coffee."

"Just...yeah...today was...whatever," he stuttered.

"Well, go change. Dinner should be ready in about 10," she said, but he didn't move from his place, and he was looking at her differently. Almost...well, she didn't know what it was, but she'd never seen that look before. "What?"

"Nothing!" he said quickly, looking to the floor. "Sorry. I'll uh...I'll be right back."

She knew, just by looking at him, that she'd totally surprised him, and that had really been the idea. She realized, the night before as they were walking in complete silence, that he didn't deserve her pulling away from him just because she didn't know how to deal with her own emotions.

That, and she really did want to prove that she could cook.

She poured two glasses of wine as she waited for him, and checked over her handy work. Everything was perfect, and she knew that if Brooke could see her, she'd no doubt be ridiculed for days. Not only had she prepared quite a feast, bought the best wine she could on her budget, and bought the album that he'd been talking about for weeks, but she had put on her most flattering jeans and a top that Brooke had made her buy that summer in New York. She'd left her hair down in loose curls and done her makeup.

What she didn't really want to admit, and would have denied if anyone asked her, was that she was treating this like a date.

It was just a date he didn't know he was on.

But she'd take what she could get.

When he came back down the stairs in dark jeans and a light blue button down shirt, she raised an eyebrow at him questioningly, and he spoke without her even needing to ask what was on his mind.

"You look so amazing, I figured I had better put on something decent," he said with a shrug of his shoulders as she handed him a glass of wine.

And there was her stupid fluttering heart again.

"Sit," she said, deflecting his comment - compliment would be more accurate - and gesturing to the dining table.

"Can I help you with anything? I feel like I'm being pampered, here," he said, trying to peer into the kitchen to see what she was feeding him.

And he wouldn't tell her, but he really did need pampering on that evening, and he didn't know how she knew that, but he was happy that she did.

"No," she insisted. "Go. I'll take care of you."

She hadn't realized what she'd said until she'd said it and saw his smile. She turned around to hide her blush, and rolled her eyes at herself as she reached for the salads she'd prepared and her own glass of wine. When she stepped back into the dining room, she saw Lucas smiling and shaking his head at her.

"I can't believe you did all this," he said as she set the plate in front of him and sat down.

"It's no big deal. And really, it's more for me than it is for you," she said. She knew it was a blatant lie, but she could cover it. "I can't have you making jokes about my cooking skills."

"Well," he said after taking a bite of the caesar salad, "the salad is great."

"The salad is the easy part," she said with a laugh.

"I know," he said, smirking. "I'm hoping the rest is as good."

"Oh, it is," she said, using a teasing, seductive tone.

Their eyes met across the table, and he wasn't sure if she was joking, or if she intended the double entendre the way he'd interpreted it. And really? She wasn't sure she was joking either. And maybe she wasn't talking about the food anymore.

They were silent until he tried to stand to clear his plate, and she scowled at him and insisted that he stay seated. He just chuckled and held his hands up in defeat. When she returned with two plates of the most perfect looking lasagna he'd ever seen, she saw his eyes go wide.

"Surprised?" she asked with a laugh.

"If I say yes, will you be offended?" he teased, lifting his fork to take a bite. He mumbled something with his mouth full that might have been 'Oh my God', and she just laughed again.

If this was what it meant to be taken care of by her, he was certainly alright with it.

"So how was your day?" she asked as he took a sip of wine.

"Awful until I walked through that door," he said sincerely.

He wasn't sure why she was blushing, but he knew it wasn't for the reasons he wanted. She'd just taken the compliment to her cooking, no doubt, but really, coming home and finding her there was always the best part of his day. It was what he'd missed most of all that week when she'd been so busy and preoccupied.

He launched into the comedy of errors that was his day, and she laughed at him only because she sympathized with him. He told her that she could have fed him french fries and hot dogs and it still would have been amazing.

He asked her about her own day, and she told him all about her classes and the one character, Ryan, in her one class who always drove her crazy. She always told Lucas about the guy's antics, and it had become a running joke.

She left out the part where her art professor told her that she would never be a good artist if she couldn't connect with her subjects. She didn't tell him that that very professor told her that she needed to fall in love and stop living in fear. And that was all in front of the entire class. She didn't show the sketch that was tucked away in her bag; the one of the beautiful boy whose eyes she knew she'd never be able to capture in charcoal on paper. She didn't love him, of course, but she definitely connected with him. Drawing him had been effortless.

"Dessert?" she asked alluringly, and all he could do was take a deep breath and nod his head.

She cleared their plates, and she stood in the kitchen for a moment, with her head down as she leaned against the counter, securing her weight on her arms. This was the best date she'd ever had. She just had to keep reminding herself that she wasn't on a date. This was just Lucas, her friend and roommate, and they were sharing a meal. There was nothing more to it than that.

That didn't stop her from wishing there was.

So she fixed two plates of chocolate cheesecake with raspberry sauce, and made her way back to where he was sitting.

"Are you kidding me?" he asked with wide eyes. "Are you _sure_ you made everything?"

"I did," she said with a smile. "Go on. Try it."

He did as he was told, and closed his eyes as he savoured the tasted.

"Seriously, so good," he said with a mouthful of dessert, making her laugh. "Amazing."

"I'm glad you like it." She smiled at him sweetly and started into her own dessert.

God, that smile killed him. Coy and cute, and somehow still the most seductive thing he'd ever seen. She was a complete mystery to him, and he still felt like he knew her better than anyone else did. It made him wonder what other people saw when they saw her. Did they just see the beautiful girl and stop there? Did they see the artist with the amazing vision and view of the world? Did they see the sarcasm and jokes? He saw it all, and it only left him wanting more.

"Peyton, thank you," he said after a while.

"I'm just glad everything turned out," she said with a laugh, trying to downplay how long she'd actually spent in the kitchen that day.

"No," he insisted, shaking his head. "You kind of saved my day without even knowing. So thank you."

"You're welcome." She looked at him again, and gave him one of those smiles.

"Will you at least let me help with the dishes?" he asked.

"Help?" she said with a raised eyebrow. "You're doing them all, sweetheart."

His heart kind of fluttered at that term of endearment. But his heart couldn't flutter, could it? It shouldn't have. She was just teasing him, joking with him and telling him to get his hands into some soapy water. But it felt like less of a chore when she called him that name.

"Gladly," he drawled out, taking her plate from in front of her. "More wine?"

"Please," she said, making him wink at her as he grabbed her empty glass and balanced it in his hands. The boy loved to wink, she realized. She couldn't say she didn't love it.

He returned moments later with a glass of red and set it in front of her as she sat on the sofa.

She sat for a while and listened to music while he clanged around in the kitchen, cursing occasionally, and she thought about how comfortable her evening with him had felt. Eating and talking and sharing details about their days.

And when he came and sat down next to her, and draped his arm over the back of the sofa and smiled at her, she felt like somehow, that was all she wanted. That man, and that evening, and those conversations with him.

She thought she might need to tell him that. Just gently broach the subject, and ask, somehow, if he'd felt the same way with her.

She'd barely opened her mouth to speak, when her phone rang. She sighed deeply and shot him an apologetic glance and reached for her cell.

"Brooke?" she asked when she heard sniffles on the other end of the line. "What's wrong?...Victoria! What'd she do now?"

She stood from her place and headed for the stairs without another look or word to Lucas.

And he really wished that her phone hadn't rung. Their evening had gone so well, and he was under the impression that maybe something was going to happen between them. Wine, a perfect meal, her looking amazing in her purple top...He really wanted to see where the evening took them, and then she'd gotten called away.

And he really, really hated when Haley was right.


	9. Chapter 9

Peyton had an, as she called it, 'massively humongous', test the following Monday, so she spent most of her weekend holed up in her bedroom, emerging only to eat and run a few short errands.

She was thankful for the distraction and excuse to be away from Lucas. If her bedroom door was closed, she could pretend the tension wasn't there. She could pretend he was nothing more than her roommate. She could pretend she wasn't conflicted by what she wanted, and what was the right thing to do.

But she couldn't pretend he wasn't there.

She'd hear him on the phone, or walking around in their house, and she'd immediately wonder who he was talking to or what he was doing. She had to remind herself on several occasions that it wasn't really any of her business.

And she couldn't pretend she didn't miss him. She wasn't that far away at all, but she wasn't next to him, laughing and looking into those blue eyes. And so she missed him.

She still hadn't said anything to Brooke about her newly-developed feelings. Instead, she chose to hope that it was just a phase and that she'd get over it soon.

But then, on Sunday evening, he brought her a bag of Skittles - she'd once told him they were her drug of choice while studying - and she thought that might have been the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her.

"So how's it going?" he asked, sitting on the end of her bed while she was stationed at her desk. She was in a pair of plaid pajama pants and a black tank top, with her hair pulled up haphazardly and a stressed look on her face.

"It's...going," she said tiredly. "Feminist and gender issues in early European art."

"That sounds..."

"Intense?" she offered. "Yeah. It's a lot of dates and theories and stuff."

"Well, if you need me to quiz you on anything," he said with a smirk. "I mean, I'm happy to help."

"I think the Skittles will do," she said, laughing off her excitement. The thought of him sitting there, talking to her about art in that perfect voice of his...That would hinder, not help.

She tore open the package of candy and handed him a couple green ones - his favourite - and he smiled that smile that always seemed to make her a little weak in the knees.

When she turned back to her work, she expected he might leave. She wasn't sure if that was what she wanted or not; it was really a toss up. So she focused on her books as she popped Skittles into her mouth, and he laid back on her bed, clasping his hands behind his head as he did so. His tee shirt rode up a little bit and she caught a glimpse of that chiseled stomach, and her temperature spiked. She couldn't help but cast sideward glances at him. She had no clue why he was laying there, perfectly still, perfectly silent, but she definitely liked it. Her mind raced a little, thinking of how she'd like to be in her bed with him.

She cleared her throat and shook her head a little, trying to rid herself of those thoughts that she really shouldn't have been having.

"Sorry," he said, turning his head to look at her. "Am I bugging you?"

"No!" she answered, far too quickly. "No, you're not bugging me."

Just the opposite.

"I suppose I should leave you alone," he said, smirking at her. "I was just a little lonely all alone in my room."

"Awww, poor Luke," she teased, making him roll his eyes. "It's OK, though. You don't have to go." She'd spent the better part of two days trying to get away from him, and now she was close to begging him to stay.

"Good," he said with a smile, laying back down. "Because your bed is way more comfortable than mine."

He hadn't even thought about the words before he'd said them. You'd think, being that he was a writer, that he'd be able to catch himself and pick better words. But he was a bumbling fool around Peyton half the time. Part of him hated himself - and maybe her, a little bit - for that. But part of him, maybe a bigger part, was intrigued and excited and kind of loved that he felt that way. It had been a long, long time since he'd had such strong feelings for someone.

Maybe he'd _never_ had such strong feelings for someone.

"Peyt?" he asked, when he noticed she was extra quiet.

"Yeah," she said, laughing nervously. "I love my bed."

Especially with him sprawled across it.

"I do, too," he said with a chuckle.

Damn him. He was making it far too easy to want him. And to abandon studying. And to let go of her rules. And to agree with Brooke.

"I'm sorry," she said after another few moments of trying - in futility - to focus on her text book. "I really have to ace this test."

"Yeah," he said, standing from her bed. "Sorry."

"No, it's OK," she assured him with a smile. "The break was good. Thanks for the Skittles."

"Any time," he said, gently squeezing her shoulder on his way to the door. "I'll see you."

"Bye," she mumbled, still able to feel his hand on her bare skin well after he'd removed it.

When he got back to his own room, he collapsed on his own bed, and he hated everything about it. Her blankets were softer, and her mattress wasn't as hard. Her red bed sheets smelled like her, and everything matched, and his was just...boring. She wasn't sitting across from him, and he was alone, and the thought of that kind of hurt him.

When he fell asleep an hour or so later, he found himself dreaming of the two of them, cuddled up together in her linens on her bed.

This was bad. This was really bad. He shouldn't have been dreaming about her or wanting her or craving her. But he was.

And that was bad news.

Monday evening, he had made plans to go to the Tar Heels game with some friends, so he wasn't home until late, and he didn't have to worry about seeing Peyton.

And the most frightening thing about it all, was that he _wanted_ to see her.

He'd had a few drinks, and watched a great game, cheering the Tar Heels' win, and it was a great evening. He found himself, in his buzzed state, wishing that she was his girlfriend and he was coming home to her.

Instead, he came home, headed for the stairs, and passed her closed door. He wondered what she was wearing and if she was sleeping, and how she'd done on her test. He was a fool for this girl, and she had no idea. So he climbed into his bed and he fell asleep alone, and hoped that he'd get a chance to see her the next day.

----

His last class of the day on Tuesday had been canceled, and he knew that Peyton only had a morning class that day, so he found himself rushing home. He was acting like an idiot, and he was well aware of that, but the idea of spending an afternoon just the two of them sounded pretty amazing. He'd had a rough morning, and he was stressed out, and he was desperately searching for inspiration to finish a short story that was due the following week.

He hadn't expected to walk in on what he walked in on. He wondered if she did this often. He'd certainly never seen it before. He kind of wished he had.

He _definitely_ wished he had.

There she was, wearing a midriff-baring workout top and a pair of impossibly tight pants, in some absolutely amazing yoga pose, and he was supposed to just ignore her?

Not possible.

Her eyes were closed and she was clearly off in another world, which, he gathered, was kind of the point of the whole yoga thing. So he did the creepiest thing he'd ever done, and he stared at her for a moment.

Well, several moments.

She brought her arms down slowly, moving effortlessly into another pose, and he found himself staring at her hips, and her stomach, and the little dimples he hadn't known, until now, were at the small of her back.

He needed to get the hell out of there. Fast.

He turned on his heel and made his way towards the stairs. A shower was no not only going to be therapeutic, but a necessity. He hated that he wanted her. He fucking hated it.

She didn't even know he was home until she heard the door to his bedroom slam closed. She had obviously been in another place, since she hadn't heard him come into the house at all. She'd never heard him slam a door in the entire time she'd known him, so she wondered what was going on with him. It was clearly something.

She heard the shower start, and so she went back to her workout, deciding to wait until she heard the water stop before going to ask him what was wrong.

About ten minutes later, she made her way up the stairs and knocked on his bedroom door.

He had just a towel wrapped around his waist when she knocked, and he couldn't find it in him to ask her to wait until he found clothes. If she was going to tempt him, he'd do the same to her. Well, he _hoped_ he'd have the same effect. He really had no clue how she saw him.

"Come in," he called.

"Oh, wow," she muttered. Of all the things she was prepared to see, him standing there in just a towel wasn't even on the list. "Sorry."

He didn't know that her _'oh, wow'_, was _'oh, wow, you are amazing'_, and not _'oh, wow, why did you tell me to come in?'._

"It's OK," he said, running a hand through his hair.

It was much, _much_ better than _OK_ if you asked her. He was so damn close to perfect that it was scary. Remnants of a summer tan, perfectly toned stomach, a chest she wanted to nuzzle up against, and arms that were the product of years of basketball and weight lifting.

In no universe was that just _OK_.

"I just...uh...I heard you slam the door, and you don't usually slam doors, so I thought I'd just...you know...make sure you're good," she said, tripping over her words as she tried to look anywhere but at his amazing body.

"Sorry, just...uh...frustrated, I guess," he said. Frustrated didn't even begin to describe it. Hence the cold shower. And her standing in front of him, all bare stomach and low-cut top, was making him nearly need another one.

"OK," she said softly. "Well, if you need to talk, you know where I am."

"Thanks." He locked eyes with her, knowing that she wouldn't see that talking to her was just about the last thing he wanted to do with her.

"I'm gonna go...change...so yeah," she said. She didn't know where her ability to form sentences went, but it was failing her, big time. "Then I'll start on dinner. So, don't eat anything."

"Yes ma'am," he chuckled.

She rolled her eyes playfully and headed for the door, pulling it closed behind her.

This was impossible. This living arrangement was either going to crash and burn or thrust them together. They were stuck in total limbo, neither of them knowing which of those two things was going to happen.

Lucas made his way down the stairs about a half hour later, only to hear the tail end of a phone conversation that he really wished hadn't crushed his heart. It shouldn't have.

"I miss you, too, Jake, you know that...No, I know...I just can't get away right now...School's crazy and everything...Yeah, well, some of us aren't lucky enough to be big shot musicians...Jake, come on!...No. You are not coming here!...OK...OK!...Yes, I promise, Jake...I love you, too...Bye."

He didn't know who Jake was, or why she was giggling and having such a playful conversation with him, or why he loved her or in what ways she loved him back.

He was hurt.

He should have known it would happen. She was incredible - maybe the most amazing girl he'd ever met - and she'd made no indication that she wanted him to be anything other than just her roommate. He was feeling those feelings alone.

So he decided that he wouldn't do it any more.

"Hey," he said nonchalantly.

"Hey!" she chirped. He couldn't help but notice how much her mood had seemed to be lifted after that phone conversation.

"So what's the feast for tonight?" he asked, peering over her shoulder into the saucepan.

"Just a little stir-fry," she said with a shrug. "Nothing fancy."

"Smells good," he said, walking to the kitchen to grab a beer. He twisted off the cap and tossed it towards the garbage like it was a basketball, and she saw him smile when it went in.

"Small object, big target," she mumbled, making him laugh.

"Jealous?" he asked teasingly.

"A little," she admitted. "How come you're home early?"

"Class got canceled," he told her, reaching for plates to set the table.

"That's the best, isn't it?" she asked. "I love it when that happens."

"Yeah, because your day was so rough," he mumbled sarcastically.

"What?"

"Please. Morning class, then come home and do yoga in the living room? Hardly a tough schedule," he teased as she spooned their dinner onto their plates.

"Oh," she said softly. "You saw that? I'm sorry."

"Don't be." His tone, though he tried not to let it, told her that he really was alright with her taking over the living room and doing what she was doing. He wouldn't complain.

"You can tell me to move," she said, brushing off his comment. "It's not the most exciting thing to watch."

He wanted to refute that claim, really, he did, but he didn't know how to do it without it sounding like an innuendo, so he left it alone.

He changed the subject, and he asked her about her test from the day before, and she asked him how the game was, and they were just friends. That's all they were, and her earlier phone conversation reminded him of that.

So, he decided, he'd finally give in and go out with the persistent girl in his creative writing class. She was pretty and smart and kind of funny. She didn't make him feel like Peyton did, but he convinced himself that was a good thing. He would make an effort and see where it went. You never know.

He offered, once again, to do the dishes, and Peyton grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and told him she had to study for the evening.

What she really had to do was sketch. She was embarrassed to say, so she didn't, that she was still working on her sketch of him, using charcoal on paper now, instead of just pencil. She needed to pull up her grade and impress her professor, and if turning in the project would help her, then she'd do it. She'd just make sure he never saw it. It wouldn't be that hard.

After her conversation with Jake that afternoon, all she could think of were the words he told her. He knew they were true more than anyone, and he knew that sometimes she just needed a reminder.

_"You need to give someone the chance to love you."_

Apparently, he'd talked to Brooke - who'd gushed about Lucas and Peyton's lack of a relationship - and he was going to visit the brunette in New York. They wanted Peyton to go for the weekend, too, for a reunion of sorts, but she just couldn't get away. His schedule as a semi-professional session musician was far more flexible than hers as a full-time student.

Then he started talking about him visiting and _'getting to know this Lucas guy'_ to see if he was good enough for her.

Jake had been her best friend since they were little. It had always been the three of them; Peyton, Brooke, and Jake. Before cheerleading and basketball, music and clothing lines, college and responsibilities, they did everything together. They took care of each other when they needed it. Jake cried on Peyton's shoulder when he found out, unexpectedly, that he was going to be a father at 16. She cried on his when her birth mother passed away and after tough breakups. They had a very, very brief relationship (two weeks in 9th grade), before realizing that they were just better as friends. He was like a brother to her, and she was the Godmother of his daughter.

She really hated Brooke for telling Jake, because she knew that they would gang up on her about it if he knew. She had to ask herself if maybe they really did have her best interest at heart. She could be her own worst enemy at times, and some of the better choices she'd made in her life had come at their not-so-gentle prodding.

So maybe it would be worth it to give a relationship with Lucas a shot if he wanted to. Now she just had to figure out if he wanted to.

----

Lucas woke up the next day to a completely quiet house. He knew Peyton had an early class, and he was kind of happy that he didn't have to see her. The game of 'hot and cold' that his own heart was playing with him was getting old. He either wanted her or he didn't. The back and forth that was going on within him, he just didn't want to deal with any more.

So after his classes that afternoon, when he was walking across campus to head out for some food, he saw the girl he thought might take his mind off the blonde one who lived across the hall from him.

"Hey, Katie," he called, jogging a little to catch up with the girl.

"Hey, Luke," she said with a kind smile.

She really was pretty. Big hazel eyes and brown hair, subtle, understated style, and some fashionable reading glasses. She was intelligent, that much he knew from the classes they shared. And she liked him. A lot. She'd been dropping hints for a year, and he hadn't once so much as really given her a second look. Until today.

"So listen, I was just going to go for dinner. You want to join me?" he asked easily.

He didn't know why it was so easy, though. He didn't know why he had no problem whatsoever talking to the girl. He usually clammed up and got a little tongue tied around girls that he wanted to date. He ignored that little thought in the back of his head, telling him that it was easy because he didn't really want to date this girl, but another one entirely.

"Um...yeah," she said timidly, her smile still in place. "I'd love to."

Dinner was nice. Nothing fancy, just a local sushi place, but nice. Katie was perfectly pleasant. She was polite and sweet, and funny in her own way. Their taste in books varied vastly, and they'd each argue in defense of their favourites. They were both passionate, and could laugh at each others' insistence that their most prized reads had merit.

He liked her. She was great, and attractive, and he liked her. He liked talking to her, and when he invited her back to his place, knowing Peyton had a study group that evening, he liked the smile that put on her face. He liked walking with her, and he liked sitting on his sofa, listening to a long-forgotten album with her.

He liked when she leaned forward and kissed him.

He wasn't sure how long they sat there, on the sofa in his living room, kissing heatedly, but he really hadn't expected the door to open or his roommate to come home early.

"Oh!" Peyton cried in surprise of what she'd walked in on. "Wow. I'm so...I'm sorry! I just...I'll...I'll go...to my room."

"Peyton," he said, in an attempt to calm her down.

"No. I'm sorry. I'll...bye," she said in embarrassment as she started up the stairs.

Fuck. He really, really screwed that one up.

He wasn't sure why it took Peyton walking in on he and Katie kissing to realize that Katie wasn't the girl he wanted to be kissing. Maybe he'd known it all along. Either way, he now had to hurt this perfectly sweet girl sitting next to him. She was looking at him with doe eyes, while his own eyes were fixed in the direction the blonde had run.

He liked Katie. He just liked Peyton more.

Once she got to her room and closed the door behind her, she dropped her things, perhaps a little too forcefully, and she felt the lump forming in her throat.

All the things she'd interpreted in the weeks before as 'signs', so obviously hadn't been signs. They were a girl with a crush, making up things that she wanted to be real.

She needed a drink, and was thankful that she'd happened to buy a bottle of Jack Daniels on her way home. She took a sip, and it did nothing to help her, so she put on her favourite album, and that did nothing either.

She knew what she really needed. She needed her best friend.

She pulled out her phone and scrolled down to Brooke's name, pressed the green button, and waited to hear the cheery voice on the other end.

"Brooke?" she said timidly. "I have feelings for Lucas."


	10. Chapter 10

"Brooke?" she said timidly. "I have feelings for Lucas."

"Sure you do," Brooke scoffed. Peyton could practically see her rolling her eyes, assuming she was being fed some sarcasm.

"No, Brooke. I..."

"Oh, what? Wait a minute. You're serious!?" Brooke nearly screamed.

"Yes," Peyton said, sighing as she laid back on her bed.

"Holy shit. I was right," Brooke muttered, almost in awe of that fact.

"I know," Peyton said dejectedly.

"When did...? What did....? How?" she asked, in obvious shock at her best friend's confession.

"I know!" Peyton said. "I just saw him making out with some girl on our couch, and I..." Her voice trailed as she stifled a sob. Great. She was crying over him. She didn't cry over boys, and Brooke knew that.

"Peyton," Brooke said sympathetically. "How long?"

"A few weeks."

"Why didn't you tell him?" Brooke asked gently. "Wait, why didn't you tell _me_?"

Brooke knew her best friend. She knew that Peyton didn't just put herself out there with guys. But something about the way she was talking about Lucas let Brooke know that this one was different. This time, it wasn't insecurity or complacency that was keeping her from letting him in on her feelings. It was the fear that he felt the same way, and that someday he'd break her heart.

Or, perhaps more scary, that he'd feel the same way, and he'd love her so completely that she wouldn't know what to do.

"I kind of didn't want it to be true," Peyton admitted. "I mean, I can't....right? We...I can't."

"Honey, yes you can," Brooke said softly. "You just have to let yourself."

"Have you been talking to Jake?" Peyton asked with a laugh.

"Of course," Brooke said, as thought it was obvious. "We talk about you all the time. We worry about you, you know."

"I know."

"So what did this girl look like? There's no way she's as hot as you," Brooke said seriously.

"Uh...thanks?"

Just then, Peyton heard the front door slam closed, and she really felt badly. She'd probably scared the poor girl off. She felt badly for about two seconds, then she felt _relieved_.

"She was cute, I guess. I couldn't really see her when she had him stuck to her face," Peyton muttered bitterly.

"Oh, you are so jealous and bitchy right now. I love it!" Brooke squealed.

"Brooke..."

"No! We need a plan to make Lucas fall in love with you," Brooke said excitedly.

"Shit," Peyton mumbled. "He's coming up the stairs. I need to...I don't know."

"Do not get all weird and draw your freaky drawings right now, OK?" Brooke requested. "_Please_ promise me that you'll either talk to him, or get some sleep."

"Sleep it is," Peyton said, faking happiness that she knew Brooke would see through.

"Peyton, you _need_ to talk to him," Brooke said seriously. "And he's crazy if he's not into you, too, and I'm not just saying that because I'm your best friend. From the sounds of it, you two are like, the perfect match."

"Tell him that," Peyton mumbled. She couldn't get the image of him and that girl out of her head.

"What's his number? I _will_ tell him," Brooke threatened. The thing was, she would totally do it if Peyton would let her.

"I love you, Brooke, but can we not talk about it anymore?" Peyton requested tiredly. She really needed to have another sip of whiskey and crawl into bed with her iPod and some David Gray.

"I love you, too, P. Sawyer. Please, please don't wallow over this, OK? And promise me that you'll talk to him," Brooke pleaded once more.

"I will, OK?" Peyton insisted. "And Brooke?"

"Yeah?"

"How long until you call Jake and tell him about this?" Peyton teased.

"He's actually sitting on my couch right now, going crazy because he's only hearing one side of the conversation," Brooke explained, making them both laugh. "'Night, Peyton."

"'Night, Brooke. Tell Jake I'll talk to him soon."

She hung up the phone and threw her head back onto the pillow again, and she tried to figure out just why she was so bothered by the fact that Lucas obviously didn't have any romantic feelings for her.

One more drink of whiskey, and she admitted to herself that it was because she was falling in love with him.

It took another pull off the bottle to try to make that notion go away.

It didn't.

So she shed her clothes, ignored the knock on the door that came at about 10:00 that night, and went to sleep feeling absolutely crushed.

She'd somehow lost Lucas before she even had him.

----

Lucas kicked himself repeatedly for being such a damn idiot. He should have known better than to try to ignore his feelings for Peyton and replace her with Katie. Now Peyton was probably going to be uncomfortable around him, and Katie would never talk to him again, and he'd be dubbed a jerk by both of them.

He could only find it in himself to care about one girl's opinion.

And she hadn't emerged from her room since she had hastily rushed up the stairs the night before. He wanted to talk to her, so after a couple hours of mentally berating himself and trying to come up with the perfect apology, he tapped on her door gently, but she didn't answer. He had to assume she was just sleeping, and he skulked back to his room and tried, in vain, to sleep. He barely got two hours of solid rest, fearing that he'd ruined any chance of ever having a relationship with Peyton.

When he got up the next day, he left the house far earlier than he had to. He'd give Peyton space, and then talk to her later in the day. They were both usually home late in the afternoon on that particular day of the week, so he'd pick up dinner and a bottle of wine as a peace offering. And chocolate. The girl loved her chocolate. It couldn't hurt.

When he stepped through the door after an entire day of thinking about her and what he was going to say, he saw her sitting at the dining table with her books scattered out in front of her and her hair held in place by a pen. The house was quiet, which was an odd change, and she looked completely lost in thought. She was in an oversized Tar Heels shirt that he recognized was his. He had to smile at that. The sight of her in his clothing was kind of breathtaking.

"Hey," he greeted politely when he saw her look up from her book. "I brought pizza and wine."

"Sounds good," she said absently, turning her attention back to her work.

So she'd promised Brooke that she'd talk to him. She didn't put a timeline on it.

"Studying?" he asked pointlessly as he stepped into the kitchen for plates.

"Yup," she called.

He returned to the room and joined her at the table, setting two plates and wine glasses down, and she moved her books aside and dished out pizza while he poured the wine.

And they were silent. Painfully tense and silent.

"So listen," they both said at the same time, making each other laugh.

"Peyton, I'm _so_ sorry about last night. I didn't know you were going to be home early, and...yeah, I feel like an ass," he said quickly.

"Luke, it's OK," she said, dismissing his concern. She should be a freaking actress with the way she was faking her nonchalance.

What she really wanted to do was ask who the girl was and how serious it was and if he was going to see her again. All day long, she'd built up this image in her head. She'd only caught a glimpse of the petite brunette, but in Peyton's head? In Peyton's head, the girl had a genius IQ and brilliant eyes and all the perfect words. She was everything Lucas wanted. And maybe that was all in her head, but what else was she supposed to think?

"Not really. I just...I know how I'd feel if I walked in on you making out with someone on the sofa," he said, only half-jokingly. Just the thought of it was making him clench his fist beneath the table.

"Well, you don't have to worry about that," she said with a laugh.

"Right. The penis embargo," he teased.

"Lucas!" she cried, wide eyed from shock.

"What?" he laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "How's that all going anyway?"

"I _miss_ making out," she said bluntly, making him nearly choke on his drink. "What? It's true!"

"It's just...most people don't just blurt out things like that," he said with a laugh.

"I haven't made out with someone in so long," she complained. "It's not even sex. I mean, yeah, I miss that too. But I just really love making out. Touches that aren't exactly innocent but aren't all inappropriate either."

Speaking of inappropriate, his mind was absolutely racing.

He didn't know why she was telling him that, but all he could think about was her. Not that it was much of a departure from what he was usually thinking, but they hadn't talked like this with one another in ages, since he started feeling the way he was feeling about her, and he was kicking himself even more over acting like such a damn jackass.

She didn't know why she was telling him that, but she figured that since he obviously didn't feel about her the way she felt about him, that she'd just stop feeling that way. And friends could speak candidly, couldn't they? And maybe, just maybe, she was listening to the advice Brooke had given her way back when they were 16; talk about sex with boys, and they will think about sex _with_ _you_.

"Well, I'm sure that a girl like you won't have to wait long," he said after he'd pulled himself from his very, very dirty daydream.

"What does _that_ mean?" she asked, obviously offended.

"No!" he said quickly, waving off her concern over however she'd interpreted that statement. "No. I just meant...You know..._Look_ at you. And...I...It's hard to imagine you going too long without."

Had he just said those words out loud? _God_, he hated himself.

"Luke," she said softly, looking down and tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Sorry," he whispered. "You just...you have to know that you're gorgeous."

And whatever filter that was supposed to be in his head, stopping him from talking, was apparently malfunctioning. Why he was still saying these words, he really didn't know.

"Thank you," she murmured. Her cheeks, she could tell, were red, and her heart was beating rapidly, and she really wanted a distraction.

She realized that she hadn't gotten a chance to ask him who the girl was and if it was serious, but something about the way he was talking to her was leading her to believe that just maybe he felt the same way she did.

He just looked at her for a moment, blushing and coy, and if he was a more brazen man, he would have kissed her. He would have moved towards her before she had a chance to protest. The more he thought about it, the more he was convincing himself to just _do_ it.

He was sure the universe hated him, and he had to stifle a groan as she shot up out of her chair when there was a knock at the door.

She really hadn't expected to see he two best friends wearing the biggest, geekiest smiles she'd ever seen, standing on her porch.

"Brooke! Jake!" she cried, launching herself towards them and throwing her arms around both of them at once.

Lucas heard those names, and turned in his chair, craning his neck to see the couple standing at the door. He saw a pretty brunette with an excited expression on her face, and a tall, brown-haired man with a lopsided smirk. He felt a bit out of place, witnessing their little reunion.

"Hey girlie," Brooke chirped.

"What the hell? How are you here? How did you know where I even lived?" Peyton asked quickly.

"I'm Brooke Davis. I have people," Brooke said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Where's Jenny?" Peyton asked.

Lucas didn't know who Jenny was, but he really hoped it was this Jake guy's girlfriend.

"Not on your porch like we are," Jake deadpanned, lifting his and Brooke's bags.

"Sorry! Come in," she said, stepping aside to let her friends through the door. "Luke!"

"Yeah," he said with a smile, standing from his place and stepping towards them.

"These are my best friends, Brooke, and Jake," she said. "Guys, this is Lucas."

"Lucas," Brooke purred. "Nice to meet you."

"You too," he said with a smile. "Hey, man."

"Hey," Jake said, shaking hands with Lucas.

Brooke looked at Peyton with wide eyes and mouthed the word '_hot_', in that way that she'd been doing for so many years when the girls would meet new boys.

"Peyt, I'll grab a couple more wine glasses, why don't you guys head to the dining room," Lucas suggested, cupping Peyton's elbow with his hand.

Jake and Brooke exchanged a glance, acknowledging both the nickname, and the subtle touch, as Peyton led them towards the dining area.

"Why are you here?" Peyton asked, changing the subject again as she closed her books and set them aside.

"Thought you might need me," Brooke said softly, making Jake look at her indignantly. "_Us_."

"But it looks like things are...uh...good," Jake said with a knowing smile.

"I love you both for visiting, but kind of hate you for the motives," Peyton said as Lucas walked up behind her.

"What motives?" he asked obliviously.

"Oh, you know Peyton, always studying too hard," Brooke covered after seeing the look of terror on her best friend's face.

Lucas laughed and poured two more glasses of wine for their guests. He kind of liked Brooke, so far. She was funny and clever, and she clearly cared a lot about Peyton. He couldn't say much for Jake, but he kind of wanted to get to know them both better. He didn't know much about Peyton's friends, other than the few things she'd told him about Brooke.

"Sit," Lucas offered. "Make yourselves comfortable."

Peyton shot him a smile at how obviously OK he was with her friends barging into his home.

"Nice shirt," Jake said, pointing to the pale blue cotton covering Peyton's upper half.

"Yeah," Lucas said with a smirk before taking a sip of wine.

"Sorry," she offered, sending him an adorably innocent look. "It was in the laundry room and...I wanted it."

"And what Peyton wants, Peyton gets," Brooke muttered teasingly.

"Now, why does that not surprise me?" Lucas said, tilting his head towards the blonde as she shook her head at him.

The four of them sat, swapping stories and chatting for a few hours. Lucas laughed over stories of Peyton's somewhat wild teenaged behaviour, and Brooke and Jake laughed at Lucas' retelling of her drunken night over her last failed relationship. Peyton took it all in stride, just happy to have three of her favourite people all in the same room. If that meant they made fun of her, she was OK with that.

Lucas learned, to his relief, that Jenny was Jake's daughter, and that she was with her mother while Jake was away. He wondered why Peyton never talked about the little girl she so obviously cared so much about, and then it dawned on him that he really didn't know all that much about her past at all.

He wanted to know everything about her.

"So listen, we have one spare bedroom, but..." Lucas started before being interrupted.

"Actually, that won't be a problem," Brooke chimed in, looking from Peyton to Jake.

"Why do I get the feeling that you won't be bunking with me?" Peyton asked with barely contained joy.

"We uh...we're together," Jake said, smiling at Brooke.

"About fucking time!" Peyton said happily, making all three of the other people at the table laugh. "Seriously! I've been waiting for you two to get together since senior year!"

"Girls' day tomorrow, and I'll fill you in on everything," Brooke said with a grin.

"And what about us?" Lucas asked innocently enough.

"Whatever," Peyton scoffed, waving him off. "You can show Jake around and talk about basketball."

"You play?" Lucas asked, unable to hide his boyish excitement.

"Yeah," Jake answered with a smile. "I hear your family might have some talent, too."

"Remember the night you called me and told me to watch that game Nathan was playing?" Brooke asked Peyton, watching as she nodded. "Jake was with me."

"I _cannot_ believe you didn't tell me until now," Peyton said, shaking her head.

She tried to stifle the yawn that came, but couldn't, and Lucas gazed at her affectionately as she let out a little sound. Brooke and Jake noticed that look, too. They'd vowed to each other that they'd stay out of it, and since the feelings were so obviously reciprocated, they certainly didn't need to meddle. They could just leave the two blondes and trust that they would eventually make their way to each other.

"OK, sleepy," Lucas laughed. "You should get to bed before you pass out at the table."

"Ha, ha," she said sarcastically. "Come on guys, I'll show you to your room."

They all stood, and Jake grabbed their bags and he and Brooke followed Peyton up the stairs while Lucas tidied up. She made a mental note to thank him for that later.

While Jake was in the washroom getting ready for bed, Brooke took the opportunity to gush to Peyton about how attractive Lucas was and how that one little photo hadn't done him justice. Peyton just rolled her eyes and said she knew. Brooke was happy to see that whatever had happened the day before, Peyton was obviously not affected by it anymore. She'd have to get the details on that the next day.

They heard the boys talking in the hall, and then Lucas slipped into his own bedroom, leaving Jake to join the girls. Peyton offered both her friends hugs before heading to her own room with a smile on her face that she was sure was the biggest she'd worn in a while. That was the best day on record.

As she was getting ready for bed, she realized that she was still wearing Lucas' shirt, and that she really did want to thank him for being so great about the ambush visit.

She pulled on a pair of sleep shorts and a little tank top, and folded his shirt for him. She stepped quietly out of her bedroom and tapped gently on his door, and was surprised when he opened it wearing just a pair of plaid pajama bottoms. The guy seemed to hate wearing shirts. If she was being honest, she couldn't really complain about it.

"Hey," she said quietly, stepping inside and closing the door behind her.

How that simple action made his mind and heart race, he didn't really know. They shared this house and were alone together all the time, but she looked amazing in her pajamas, closed off in his bedroom. And she looked _happy_. He kind of wanted to keep her there with him.

"Thought I'd give you this back," she said, offering him the tee shirt that was folded neatly in her hands.

"Oh," he laughed. "Thanks."

He kind of wished she'd kept it. It looked way better on her than it did on him anyway.

"Thank you so much, Luke," she said sincerely. "I know this wasn't exactly expected, and you were awesome tonight."

"Just tonight?" he teased playfully as he stood across from her, mere feet separating him.

She got the urge - the need - to wrap her arms around him. To feel his body against hers and have him hold her in his arms tightly. It had been far too long since they'd really hugged, and she was craving the contact.

She'd learned early on that Lucas gave really good hugs. He wrapped his arms around you and somehow squeezed his shoulders together a little bit, making the perfect little shell for her to lean into. His hand, she could remember, always found the back of her neck - one of her weaknesses.

She needed one of those hugs. Not for comfort or security or consolation. Just for _him_.

So she reached out and pulled him against her. It took him a moment to reciprocate, but when he did, he was really, really glad that she'd made that move. She fit him perfectly, and he only wanted more of her, and when she pulled away after what must have been 30 seconds, and offered him another one of those shy little smiles, he could only smile back.

She said a goodnight that he barely heard, then opened the door and stepped back into the hallway, leaving him alone in his room.

He flopped down on his bed and faced the reality that he really hadn't wanted to face.

He was falling in love with his roommate.


	11. Chapter 11

Peyton woke the next day to the smell of coffee and bacon, and the sound of her two best friends laughing and talking with her roommate. Nothing had ever sounded so sweet.

She pulled her hair up in an attempt to tame her curls, before padding down the stairs in her sleep shorts and tank top, hoping to make an unobstructed bee-line for the coffee maker.

"Well, well, Sleeping Beauty," Jake chided, taking in her sleepy, disheveled appearance. He pulled her into his side and kissed the top of her head, then released her so she could get what they all knew she needed.

Lucas was standing at the stove, and sent her an adorable smile as she poured her coffee.

By this point, she was realizing she'd just have to get used to the fluttering heart.

"So, what's on the docket for this girls' day, then?" she asked Brooke, who was carrying on a quiet conversation with Jake at the kitchen table.

"Oh, well," Brooke said with a smirk, "I maybe kind of snuck into your room when you were sleeping and peeked in your closet."

"Brooke!" Peyton cried as both men laughed.

"What!? My suspicions were correct. You need new clothes," Brooke said seriously.

"I do not!" Peyton said indignantly. "My clothes are just fine!"

Lucas had to agree, though he didn't say the words or make any indication that that was how he felt.

"No, we're going shopping," Brooke insisted. "And when I get back to New York, I'm sending you new things."

"So why are we going shopping to spend money I don't have, when you can just send me _free_ things?" Peyton asked with a smile.

"Whatever," Brooke mumbled. "We're going."

"Do you seriously walk around like this all the time?" Jake asked, pointing to her attire.

She was just about to respond when Lucas turned around to face everyone.

"Yeah, she does," he said, making Peyton roll her eyes.

Not that he'd complain. Those little shorts just showed off her legs, and he certainly wouldn't tell her to stop doing that.

"Why are you people here again?" Peyton asked, making them all laugh.

She grabbed a stack of plates from the cupboard and helped Lucas dish out breakfast for everyone.

She was acutely aware that to anyone else they would have looked like two couples. And to her, that was maybe the most comfortable she'd ever felt in that type of situation. She and Lucas joked and teased each other, and Brooke and Jake shot each other playful looks, and they carried on conversations easily. Jake and Lucas got along even better than Peyton had expected.

Once they were all fed and dressed, Peyton grabbed her car keys and met Brooke at the front door. The guys had decided they'd play their day by ear, which most likely meant watching whatever sport was on television and maybe a quick game of basketball.

They'd all agreed to go to dinner that evening, and Brooke made a call and got them a reservation at the nicest restaurant in town, so they all agreed to meet back at the house to get ready, then go from there. Brooke and Jake were leaving early the next morning, so Brooke was determined to make it a memorable evening.

Peyton shot Lucas a nervous smile while Jake kissed Brooke goodbye, and then they were out the door, leaving the two men to their own devices for the day.

"It's kind of surprising," Jake said after a while, as the two of them sat, nursing beers in the early afternoon.

"What's that?" Lucas asked, taking his eyes off the matinee basketball game they were watching.

"You and Peyton are pretty close," Jake pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess," Lucas said with a shrug of his shoulders. "We clicked pretty quickly."

"That's what's surprising," Jake said with a smile. "Peyton is _so_ not the girl to just let people get to know her so well, so fast."

"Yeah, I kind of got that impression," Lucas said softly.

"Look, man, I don't want to...I mean, I don't know you very well at all. But I know Peyton," Jake started. "And I hope you don't hate me for saying this, but I just know how easy it is for guys to...I dunno...get pulled in."

"Pulled in?" Lucas asked with a chuckle.

"It's the eyes, man," Jake laughed, shaking his head.

"The legs don't hurt, either," Lucas muttered.

"No doubt," Jake agreed as the smile spread on his lips. "But listen, I'm not telling you what to do, or if you even...you know, wanted to do anything...It's just...be careful."

Lucas wasn't really sure why Jake was bringing it up, or how he knew that Lucas was even thinking about Peyton in that way. He wanted to ask more questions. He wanted to ask Jake's opinion on why Peyton would have let herself get so close to him. It was clear that Jake knew Peyton well, and cared about her and her well being and her heart.

But Lucas knew that he cared about all those same things.

"Peyton's a _great_ girl," Lucas said, casting a glance Jake's way.

It was an understatement, and they both knew that, but Jake just smiled and nodded, and he knew that Lucas was feeling far more for Peyton than he wanted to let on.

And if he was being honest, Jake couldn't say that was a bad thing at all.

----

"Luke is kinda...broody," Brooke observed as she and Peyton sipped coffee after their full day of shopping. They had a little time to kill before they had to be back at the house, so they decided to take a stroll on campus like the used to when they were both looking for cute boys.

"What do you mean by _broody_?" Peyton asked with a laugh.

"He's quiet!" Brooke pointed out. "And he's sarcastic and kind of geeky - I mean, in a _hot_ way. And he does that squinty eye thing that I _know_ you probably _love_."

"It is _so_ weird that you know that I love that squinty eye thing," Peyton muttered, making them both chuckle.

"He's really great, Peyton," Brook said seriously.

"I know."

Why Brooke was stating the obvious, she wasn't really sure. Part of her was thankful for the girl talk, having spent most of her time talking to guys (well, Lucas), or over the phone with Brooke. It felt great to have her best friend, face to face, to talk about the boy she liked. The Brooke Davis Stamp of Approval was something she'd never admit to needing.

"So what in the hell are you _waiting_ for?" Brooke asked harshly.

"Brooke! Two days ago, he was making out with some other girl!" Peyton cried.

"And yet, he can't take his eyes off _you_," Brooke insisted with a raised eyebrow. "He has nicknames for you!"

"Like, 5 of them. It's annoying," Peyton scoffed.

"You love it."

"Yeah, I kinda do," she admitted.

"I don't know," Brooke said, shrugging her shoulder. "I know you're guarded with that heart of yours, but if you ask me, he's a good one to give it to."

"I just don't know if he wants it, Brooke," Peyton said dejectedly.

Brooke heaved a sigh and linked arms with her best friend, and they started off towards the car. She wouldn't push the issue anymore, but Brooke wanted her friend to find happiness, and though she didn't know much about Lucas Scott, she really felt that he was the one who could make Peyton smile - truly smile - better than anyone she'd ever seen.

----

They returned back to the house to find Lucas and Jake on the edges of their seats, shouting at the television. Apparently the game they were watching was in double overtime, and it wasn't looking good for the team they were cheering for. They barely acknowledged the presence of the two girls until Brooke wrapped her arms around her boyfriend from behind and whispered something in his ear.

"We need to get ready for dinner," she announced once she'd pulled away. "And so do you. Wear something nice!"

"You have fun today, drill sergeant?" Jake asked teasingly once the game cut to commercial. He raised an eyebrow at the few bags Brooke was clutching and she just smiled innocently.

"We had a great day," Brooke answered.

"What about you guys?" Peyton asked, though she could see that the two guys had gotten on just fine on their own.

"Yeah, we're good," Lucas said with a smile before turning to Brooke. "We'll just watch the end of this, then we'll get ready."

"Luke, she's not as scary as she looks," Peyton said with a laugh.

"You say that now..." Jake muttered.

"Watch it!" Brooke cried as she made her way to the stairs, leaving three people laughing in her wake.

Peyton and Brooke each went into separate rooms - Brooke to change, and Peyton to shower.

Peyton had just wrapped her towel around herself after styling her hair, and was standing in front of her closet, trying to decide what to wear. She heard footsteps in the hallway, and knew that Brooke would have an opinion for her.

"Hey! Come in here!" she called through the door into the hallway.

Lucas stopped in his tracks, wondering what she could possibly need him for so urgently. But he needed to find out. If there was one thing he'd learned, it was that he'd do pretty much anything for that girl.

"What's...Oh wow. I'm sorry," he said, turning his head almost immediately after opening the door to her room.

But turning his head was really, _really_ hard when he saw that she was standing there in just a towel. He was sure it was some sort of karma for the trick he'd tried to pull the day he'd walked in and saw her doing yoga. He was going to have to resigned himself to the fact that she'd always have the upper hand. And if walking in on situations like this was what it meant for her to have the upper hand, then so be it.

"Luke! I'm sorry! I thought you were Brooke!" she said quickly.

"Uh...no...I'm...just me," he stuttered. "I'll go."

"Wait," she said.

She didn't know where Brooke was, but she needed an opinion. She walked over and moved slowly past him to shut the door. He could smell the soap on her tanned shoulders, and he didn't know if she was _trying_ to torture him, or if she just happened to be doing it. Either way, he had to remind himself to look at her face, and not at...well...every other part of her.

"Uh...what's...What can I do?" he asked lamely.

He had a few ideas...

"Which dress?" she asked, holding up the two options.

One was a bright blue fabric with skinny straps and a sweetheart neckline, and the other was a short, tight looking black dress with a low-cut back. He was sure she'd look phenomenal in either, but he, of course, was going to suggest the one that showed more skin.

"Black," he managed.

"Yeah?" she asked, holding it up to herself and turning to look in the mirror.

"Uh huh."

"Are you sure?" she asked skeptically, turning to face him again with the most adorable little look.

What was this girl trying to do to his heart?

"Yes," he said with a smile. "Definitely black."

She smiled at him and bit her bottom lip subtly, and he realized that he really had to get out of there before he got himself into trouble.

"OK," she said, tucking the towel a bit tighter around herself. If she didn't know any better, she'd think he was checking her out. "I need to get ready. I can't really go out like this."

The scenarios playing in his head didn't involve either of them going anywhere.

"Yeah," he said quickly, reaching for the doorknob. "Right. I'll..."

"Luke," she said, trying not to laugh at how tongue tied he was getting. His eyes snapped to hers and he looked almost childlike. "What's going on with you?"

"Nothing!" he said, shaking his head. "I just...wasn't expecting to walk in and see you in just a towel."

"Well, I was expecting Brooke," she said with a laugh.

"You complaining?" he teased with a raised brow. His voice was low and really damn sexy, if you asked her.

"Are you?" she countered seductively.

Their eyes locked again, and he narrowed his, wondering if her question was quite as flirtatious as he was interpreting it to be. God, he hoped so.

"This is a dangerous game, Miss Sawyer," he said with a smirk, before opening the door and stepping into the hallway.

And she had absolutely _no_ clue what that statement meant.

Did it mean that he didn't want to play? Did it mean that he wanted to play, but wasn't sure if he should? Did he mean that he was going to play and see where it led them? She stood for a few minutes, there in her towel in her bedroom, before realizing that she really did need to get ready, and she needed to make the dress he chose look like a million dollars in a really short amount of time.

Brooke stepped into the room 20 minutes later to find Peyton slipping on a pair of patent leather pumps and putting on a pair of earrings. The dress looked amazing, and so did her hair, left in loose girls.

"OK, you look fantastic," Brooke said with a dimpled grin. "Seriously, this dress is amazing."

"Luke picked it," Peyton said softly, meeting Brooke's eyes in the mirror.

"Oh, he did, did he?" Brooke said quietly, kinking her brow.

"Don't," Peyton hissed.

"The boy has good taste," Brooke said, raising an eyebrow. "And I just saw him in the hall, and he looks _so_ good in his suit."

"Great. _That'll_ make it easier to ignore him," Peyton muttered, spraying perfume on herself.

"Don't ignore him!" Brooke insisted. "I am _not_ going to let you ignore him all night. Now let's go."

"Brooke," Peyton called, stopping her friend from opening the door, "can you please just...not play matchmaker?"

"OK, Peyton?" Brooke started, making the blonde meet her eyes. "You and Luke are so..._so_ perfect for each other, and I can tell that even though I hardly know him. So I am not going to play matchmaker, because I can tell that you two are going to end up together anyway. But I am still _not_ going to let you sabotage this."

"I'm not sabotaging anything!" Peyton said indignantly.

"No offense, and I really mean that, but it's what you do," Brooke insisted. "And you usually don't mean to. So I am your reminder to just...Just please don't close yourself off to him."

"The thing is, Brooke? That's the last thing I want to do," Peyton said quietly, showing her vulnerability.

"I know," Brooke whispered as she nodded. "Now, let's go see his reaction to the sexy dress he picked."

Peyton could only laugh as Brooke took her hand and led her out of the room and down the hall towards the stairs. She really loved her best friend, and for all the jokes and funny comments Brooke made, she always had some great advice, and somehow managed to say exactly what Peyton needed to hear.

Lucas was straightening his tie, and Jake was checking his watch when the girls entered the room. The each mumbled a 'wow' when they saw the women before them.

Brooke walked to Jake and leaned into him so he could whisper something in her ear that made her blush - an accomplishment in itself.

Peyton stood somewhat timidly in front of Lucas, before noticing that his tie was a little crooked, despite his earlier efforts.

"Here," she said, stepping forward to adjust the silk.

He looked down at her face as she concentrated on the task, and he wondered how she didn't know she was as beautiful as she was.

She could feel his staring, just as she had when she'd stepped into the room, and when she moved away from him a little, the silence was killing her.

"I am _so_ glad I chose black," he said, just loud enough for her to hear. "You look...just...beautiful."

She made no attempts to hide the pink on her cheeks, and when she locked eyes with him again and said thank you, he winked in a way that she was pretty sure was _impossibly_ sexy.

"You don't look so bad either," she said with a smirk.

"Not so bad?" he teased.

"Pretty great," she amended as their eyes met again

"Ready?" Brooke asked from her place, breaking the moment.

"Yeah," Lucas replied, gesturing for Peyton to head to the door.

She tossed her keys to Lucas, and he smiled at her, both of them knowing that he loved to drive any time they went anywhere.

Brooke and Jake slid into the back seat, and Lucas and Peyton took the front, and they drove through town to the restaurant, where the valet was waiting, and the maitre 'd greeted them formally.

Lucas and Peyton exchanged looks, both acknowledging that the restaurant was far nicer than either of them had even expected, and he pulled her chair out for her before taking his own next to her.

Dinner went smoothly, with conversation and laughter, great food and a couple bottles of wine, and as they were talking over dessert, the great jazz trio that had been playing took a break.

"Jake," Peyton sang coyly. He knew immediately what she was implying.

"No," he said adamantly, shaking his head. "No way."

"Jake! I haven't heard you in _so_ long," she whined, making Lucas laugh at her somewhat childish tactics.

"I'm not doing it!"

Peyton shot Lucas a glance, letting him know that she could use his help. That didn't go unnoticed by Jake, who shot her a reprimanding glare.

"Come on, Peyton, I'm not gonna sing," Jake said, shaking his head.

"Please!" she pleaded, using her best puppy dog eyes and batting her lashes.

"No. Dammit, girl, _don't_ give me those eyes." His request fell on deaf ears, and seconds later, he was groaning and standing from his seat. "If I'm singing, you two are dancing."

"What!?" Peyton cried, glancing at her roommate quickly. "Why?"

"Fair play, baby," he said, smirking at her and then eyeing Lucas.

Brooke smiled gratefully at her boyfriend. She was teaching him the art of manipulation well. And she didn't really consider it manipulation if they were merely helping two people get together, who wanted to be together anyway.

"What Peyton wants, Peyton gets, right?" Lucas said, leaning over to whisper it in her ear.

And cue the goose bumps.

The boy had the ability to send a shiver down her spine with words that he didn't know she was interpreting in a very, very different way than he probably intended.

She wanted him. She wanted to hear whispers from him as his weight rested on her. She wanted perfect words mumbled against her skin between kisses. She wanted him to know what she wanted. She wanted him to take her hand and lead her to the dance floor because he wanted to, not because he was tricked into it.

But she'd take what she could get.

So when he stood and held out his hand, palm up, she placed her hand in his. She noticed Brooke sitting there, with a huge goofy smile on her face, and she just rolled her eyes as Lucas led her to the floor.

Jake, after a short conversation with one of the musicians, began playing the opening chords to a song that he was well aware was one of Peyton's favourites. It was an acoustic arrangement that he'd put together almost immediately after hearing the song for the first time.

"This is so not fair," she mumbled as her hand rested on Lucas' shoulder and they moved with the music.

"Why's that?" he asked with a laugh. "I would have asked you to dance eventually anyway."

"Really?" she asked, shock evident in her tone as her eyes met his.

"Please," he scoffed. "Here I am, with the most beautiful girl in the room siting next to me, and you think I'm not going to show you off?"

Peyton swore that this guy wrote the book on mixed signals. One minute he had a stranger attached to his lips, and the next he was saying things like that to her, and holding her waist perfectly, and leading her around the dance floor far too comfortably. She didn't know what he was thinking, and she wasn't sure she wanted to, for fear that wouldn't be she wanted it to be.

And she didn't know where he learned to dance like that, the proper way, but it may just have been sexier than anything she'd ever seen him do. The fact that his thumb was caressing hers gently every so often didn't hurt either.

She didn't respond to his comment - or compliment - and he didn't know what that meant. He hoped he hadn't said too much, or said anything out of line. But all he wanted to do was see that smile again. That shy, coy little smile that she got when she wasn't sure how to respond to something he'd said. He loved that smile.

"I'm sorry," he said softly after a moment.

"No," she said, shaking her head and looking up at him. "Don't apologize. I'm just...not used to people saying things like that."

He just smiled at her and held her a little tighter, pulled her a little closer, and continued to dance with her in silence until the song was over. She felt amazing in his arms, and he really wished that he could keep her there, both literally and figuratively.

But the song ended, and she pulled away from him, smiling one of those smiles as she tucked a curl behind her ear, and when she turned around, he placed his hand on the small of her back to lead her back to the table.

They gushed over Jake's playing and Lucas' dancing skills until the bill came. Brooke reached for it, and pulled out her credit card, but Lucas protested.

"Whoa. No way," he said, reaching for his wallet.

"Lucas, I've got it," she said sweetly, her smile firmly in place.

"Brooke, come on, I can't let you do that," Lucas insisted.

"Stop it," she demanded, waving her hand. "We showed up on your doorstep unannounced, and you're taking care of our P. Sawyer. Paying for dinner is the least I can do."

Lucas heaved a sigh and rolled his eyes, and said thank you once he realized that there was no arguing with her.

He didn't tell her that taking care of Peyton was something he _wanted_ to do, not something he felt obligated to do.

It was late when they got back to the house, and everyone but Lucas had had a glass or two of wine too many, so they all intended to go straight to bed. Brooke and Jake had to leave on an early flight the next morning, so they headed upstairs while Peyton stepped into the kitchen for a glass of water. She didn't know Lucas was there until she saw him.

"Thank you again, Luke, for being so great this weekend," she said sincerely, making him let out a breathy laugh.

She didn't get it yet. She was making it sound like hanging out with her and her friends, and getting to know her was a burden.

"I actually had a lot of fun," he admitted, standing close to her to reach for a glass from the cupboard. "Your friends are great. They obviously care a lot about you."

"Yeah," she said softly, with a fond smile. "Other than my dad, Brooke and Jake are kind of all I have, you know?"

"Well, that's not true," Lucas countered seriously. "Now you've got me, too."

She wanted to scream. She wanted to ask him what the hell he was doing, talking to her like that.

But she didn't.

Because she didn't want him to _stop_ talking to her like that.

"Well," she said, breaking eye contact to glance at the clock, "goodnight, Luke."

"'Night, Peyt," he said, unabashedly checking her out as she stepped out of the room.

And if he hadn't been falling already, the sight of her in that dress, and the smile she sent him over her shoulder just before she left the room would have done it.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** OK, so some of you are less than thrilled (it seems) that they haven't kissed or anything yet. It's coming, I swear!

So, to speed things along, I'm posting another chapter today.

**----**

Three days after Jake and Brooke left, Peyton was just getting used to having a quieter house. Too quiet, if you asked her. Lucas had been out two of the three nights, and while she relished the silence the first evening, she definitely started getting lonely after that.

She wondered if maybe he was avoiding her, regretting the things he said and the way he acted with her on the weekend. In her heart, she knew that probably wasn't the case. He had a study group, then he watched a game with his friends, then he went to a game.

And so there she was, on Wednesday evening, laying on her bed and reading a book that she had borrowed off his shelf. She had finished midterms, and didn't have any schoolwork due for a while, and she was thankful to read something that wasn't required by her curriculum.

As she turned the page, her attention wandered to the drawing that sat, overturned on her easel. It received the best grade she'd gotten in her entire academic career, and she was proud of it, of course, but she knew that the grade had nothing to do with her attachment to the piece.

It was too much. The feeling she had when she'd drawn it was unlike anything she had before. It was like complete contentment, able to block out the world and just let her hands do what they wanted to do. When her professor had asked her how she'd felt, and she described that, she was told that was what it was _supposed_ to feel like.

She heard the door open and close, and she realized she was bundled up in a pair of pajama pants, fuzzy socks, a sweater, and a blanket pulled up to her chin. The thing with Lucas was, she didn't care what he saw her in. She wondered why that really was. Normally, when she had feelings for someone, she always tried to look her best. With Lucas, she felt like he didn't really care what she had on.

He appeared in her doorway, wearing the same Tar Heels tee shirt she'd worn not even a week earlier, and leaned against the frame. She lowered her book and sent him a smile, and he grinned when he saw the title she was reading.

"You look cozy," he observed, stepping further into the room.

"I'm freezing," she said, making him smile. The girl was always either too hot, or too cold. "How was the game?"

"Awesome," he told her. "We were down by two till the buzzer, then Hansbrough hit an _amazing_ 3 to take it by one."

"Wow. That sounds exciting," she said seriously.

"It was great," he said with a nod. "You should come to a game some time. Show some spirit."

"Darlin', I've got more spirit than you can probably even imagine," she said with a raised brow.

"What does that mean?" he asked as he laughed.

"It means that I was a cheerleader for 4 years."

"Ohh, that's right," he said, glancing over to a photo of her and Brooke in their red and black uniforms. His mind wandered a little bit more, wondering if maybe she still had that uniform, and how damn hot she'd look in it. "How was your night?"

"You're looking at it," she said, deadpan.

"And how are you liking the Steinbeck?" he asked, enunciating in a way that made him sound more refined than they both knew he was.

"It's really good," she admitted with a nod.

"It's my favourite," he said softly.

"I know." She locked eyes with him and a beat passed before he turned away.

And then he walked to her easel, and she felt her heart stop. He couldn't see that drawing.

"98%?!" he asked excitedly upon seeing the number on the marking sheet on the back. "Peyton, you got a 98% on an assignment and it's hiding in here?"

"It's not hiding," she insisted gently, hoping he'd drop the subject. "It's just..."

She couldn't even finish her thought before he took the page in his hand and flipped it over.

She closed her eyes and grimaced, waiting for his reaction. She should have known she couldn't hid it from him. She couldn't hide anything from him, it seemed. He knew her too well, and it was getting harder and harder to keep secrets, no matter how hard she was trying.

"You drew me?" he asked, glancing at her quickly, then back to the page. "Why did you draw me?"

"Yeah...it was...It was just an assignment," she mumbled. She would have said more, but she was drowning in self-loathing.

"But...wow," he said, eyes still fixed on the portrait. "I'm just...why?"

"It doesn't matter, Luke," she said hotly. "It's just schoolwork."

"Is it?" he asked quietly, hoping those two simple words wouldn't make her even angrier.

"My prof told me I needed to connect with my subject," she said, shrugging her shoulders as he glanced between her and the art in his hands. "You and I kind of connect, so...whatever."

He got the strong feeling that she really didn't want to talk about it anymore, so he just nodded, set the drawing down the way he'd found it, and moved towards the door. Just because she didn't want to talk about it, didn't mean that he wasn't going to think about it. She drew him. Art was her love, and she used him as a subject. He had no idea what that meant, but he didn't buy that it was nothing.

"Peyton," he said, turning to her slightly when he got to the door. "It matters to me."

When he tugged the door closed behind him, she wasn't sure what he meant. Did he mean that it mattered to him that she'd drawn him? Or that her art meant more than she was letting on? He was right on both accounts.

And then she had to ask herself why she was pushing him away. That was the harder question.

He wanted to believe that she drew him for a reason - something far deeper than what she'd told him - but he didn't want to get his hopes up. He knew that if she ever saw the novel he was working on, and saw that it was about her, she'd probably freak out.

She was just the easiest thing to write.

But somehow the hardest thing to understand.

----

If he hadn't had a class that morning, Lucas wouldn't have gotten out of bed. He would have stayed shut away in his room, reading or plugged into his iPod, ignoring the outside world. Ignoring the hot and cold signals he was getting from Peyton.

Ignoring that all he wanted was everything with her.

He wasn't sure how his life went from drama free, no women troubles, focusing on his studies and his family, to focusing almost entirely on the blonde girl who'd moved into his house and his life and his heart.

But his alarm went off and he had to face it all. The house was quiet, so he slipped out unnoticed, went to his class and stopped by the library, and he did the one thing that was becoming like second nature.

He thought about Peyton.

And she had a horrible day. Just awful.

All she could think about was Lucas and his words from the night before, and she just couldn't stop herself from believing that something more was laying beneath the simple words he spoke.

And then her father called her and told her that he wouldn't be home for Thanksgiving that weekend, and so she wouldn't see him until Christmas.

So she picked up ice cream and a few new albums, and she changed into her sweats and sat on the sofa for the rest of the day.

When Lucas walked through the door and saw her sitting there, listening to music far louder than either of them ever did, and eating what looked like the richest chocolate ice cream available, he knew something was wrong.

And no matter how much he'd wanted to ignore everything, he couldn't ignore the need to look after her.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he flopped down on the sofa next to her.

"Nothing," she mumbled with a mouthful of ice cream.

He raised an eyebrow and pursed his lips, and she knew there was no getting things past him.

"I'm...kind of...embarrassed," she admitted quietly.

"What? Why? What happened?" he asked worriedly.

"Are you...? Is...?" she stuttered. "Are you forgetting last night?"

"You're...you're embarrassed about that?" he asked in surprise. He say her shake her head and look away from him. "Peyton, don't."

"Don't what?" she asked once she realized that he wasn't about to elaborate.

"Don't get all insecure about how talented you are, OK?" he insisted seriously.

"I'm not!" she cried.

"Yes, you are," he said with a tilted head and a shadow of a smile.

"I just...kind of didn't want you to see it," she said, barely above a whisper.

"Well, you did make me a little better looking than I really am," he said jokingly. She dropped her jaw and swatted his arm as he laughed. "I just didn't know you were that good."

"Me neither," she whispered.

He didn't know what that meant, but as always, he couldn't find it in him to ask.

"So you can't just be upset about that," he said knowingly.

"It's nothing," she said, waving off his concern. "My dad isn't coming home for Thanksgiving, so I'm just going to stay here."

"No you aren't!" he cried assertively. "No way are you spending the entire long weekend here alone."

"Well, there's nothing else..."

"You're coming with me," he insisted. She started shaking her head and opened her mouth, but he spoke again before she could. "My mom makes _the best_ stuffing, and Haley, Nathan and Jamie are coming in for the whole weekend. You're coming with me."

She didn't need any more convincing, really. In fact, just the thought of seeing Karen and Lily again made her smile.

"Are you sure? I mean, I'm sure your mom has it all planned out," she started.

He pulled out his phone before she'd even finished her sentence, and held it to his ear as she looked at him questioningly.

"Hey mom...Yeah, I'm good. You guys?...Yeah, yeah, I'm still coming home tomorrow. But listen, Peyton's dad isn't around this year, and...That's what I told her...OK...I'll see you tomorrow morning, then...Love you, too."

She tilted her head and sighed as he snapped his phone shut and smiled triumphantly.

"She says you are always welcome in her home," he informed her. "I'm leaving at 8:30. Be ready."

"Luke, why are you so good to me?" she asked quietly, shaking her head as she looked down to the tub of ice cream in her hands.

She asked the question because she was hoping for some sort of answer that might give insight into the things he said and did. She wanted to know if maybe he meant those things the way she wanted him to.

He knew she probably didn't remember that she'd spoken those words to him before, so he could only smile at her in response.

"Because I care about you," he admitted before he could stop himself. "And because you make it really easy to take be good to you."

"What does that mean?" she asked with a smile.

She should have know he'd have the perfect words.

He didn't say anything. He couldn't. It would have been too much.

He just shook his head and smiled, winked at her and got up to head upstairs.

"Chinese tonight?" he called down to her.

"Uh...yeah," she mumbled absently. "Yeah, I'll order."

She sat for a while before moving, just to try to figure out what he meant. He cared about her, that was no secret, and she wouldn't question that. But how was it that she made it easy to be good to her? What did that mean? And why couldn't he just answer a damn question for once? She realized that was why she rarely asked them. It was either a fear of how he'd respond, or knowing that he simply wouldn't.

She ordered their dinner, and Lucas came down stairs just in time to eat. It was her turn to buy, and he tried to argue with her, but she would have none of it.

"How'd you know I have been craving this exact meal?" he asked as they sat down to their food.

"Just a hunch, I guess," she said with a laugh.

"I think I've only had this like, once in the entire time I've known you," he observed before digging in.

So maybe the way to a man's heart _is_ through his stomach.

And just maybe he made it really easy to take care of him, too.

----

Later that night, as Peyton was packing for the last minute trip she'd be taking that weekend, her phone rang. Sometime during the weekend prior, Brooke had changed the ringtone on Peyton's phone to play Michael Jackson's _Pretty Young Thing_ when she called. When asked, she had just said that she _was_ a 'PYT', and that Peyton's ringer on Brooke's own phone was the same song. So she left it like that, because it somehow made her feel closer to her best friend.

Peyton explained, after their typical greetings, that she was going away for the weekend, and where, and it was met with silence.

"OK, what?" Peyton asked, putting a hand on her hip though she knew she couldn't be seen.

"So he's taking you home to his family? Again?" Brooke inquired giddily.

"He just pities me for not having anywhere to go for Thanksgiving," Peyton scoffed, hoping to make Brooke tone down her excitement.

Of course, Peyton was excited, too, she just didn't want to get her hopes up and then have nothing happen.

"Don't take pajamas," Brooke insisted seriously.

"What!?" Peyton asked with a laugh.

"Peyton, trust me," Brooke said. "Don't. And then when you tell him you _forgot_, he'll give you something to sleep in. It's win-win."

"How is that win-win?"

"Because you get to sleep in his clothes, which is like, one of the perks of being a girl, and because he'll drool over _seeing_ you in his clothes," Brooke explained, making Peyton laugh. "I'm serious!"

"That's what I'm afraid of," Peyton said through her giggles.

"Promise me!"

"Brooke!" Peyton cried.

"Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer, _promise_ me," Brooke insisted sternly.

"Ugh! Fine. I promise!" the blonde said in exasperation.

"OK, I have to go, but I want updates via text message," Brooke said.

"I'll talk to you later," Peyton said with a laugh. "Bye, Brooke."

"Later, Peyton," Brooke said before hanging up.

Brooke figured that she knew a lot of things. She'd seen a lot in her short lifetime, and she'd retained a lot of information.

A lot of that was about boys.

And that was how she knew that the blonde one that was living with her best friend was potentially_ 'the one'_ for her best friend.

So now she'd sit back and wait for the call that told her that one or both of them had come to their senses and acted on their feelings.

----

They got to Tree Hill mid-morning. Peyton - never a morning person - had slept most of the car ride there, making Lucas tease her, of course, for missing out on the 'best parts' of the drive. She told him that since she'd been there before, she didn't need to see the same things over again. She knew that wasn't true, and so she just rolled her eyes when he called her on it.

When they pulled up in front of his house, he shot her a smile before climbing out of the car and heading to the trunk for their bags.

She stepped out of the car and stretched her arms over her head like he so loved to see her do, and he pointed towards the door on the side of the house.

"Go ahead," he said, watching as she took in the sight of the house she'd only seen once before, in passing.

She loved that little house. It was homey and it somehow _felt_ like Lucas. It was comfortable before she even stepped inside.

She hadn't expected to step into a bedroom when she pushed that door open. She also hadn't expected Lucas to be directly behind her when she turned around to question him.

"Sorry," she said with a chuckle after she crashed against his chest.

"It's OK," he laughed. He set down their bags as she glanced around the room.

"This room is awesome," she observed.

She didn't notice anyone else was even in the house until she heard the laughter coming from the kitchen, and a little brunette girl rushing towards her and wrapping her arms around Peyton's legs.

"Peyton!"

"Hi, Lily," she said, reaching down and hoisting the girl into her arms as Lucas looked on with a content smile on his face. "How are you?"

"I'm good!" Lily claimed. "Jamie's here, and Nathan and Haley, and now you and Lukey are here too!"

"Sounds like a full house," Peyton laughed.

"Come on! You have to meet everyone," Lily proclaimed, wiggling in Peyton's arms to be let down. "Right Luke? She has to."

"Yes, Lily," Lucas said with a laugh. "You go on, we'll be out in a second, OK?"

He knelt down to kiss her forehead before she scurried off into the other room.

"She's excited," Peyton pointed out needlessly.

"Always," he confirmed. "You ready?"

"Sure," she said with a shrug. "It's just your entire family, right?"

He chuckled and draped his arm around her shoulder as they walked from the room and into the kitchen. She knew everyone, of course, having seen photos, but all the eyes staring at her and the anxious smiles pointed her way, were making her a little nervous.

"Hi," Jamie chirped before anyone else had spoken. They all chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm as he sat on his father's lap.

"Hi," Peyton said with a bright smile.

"I'm James Lucas Scott," he informed her.

"I'm Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer," she said, making Nathan grin.

"I'm Haley James Scott." Nathan and Lucas rolled their eyes at Haley's need to encourage her son's three name use. The brunette extended her hand for Peyton to shake. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"You too," Peyton said politely.

"I'm Nathan."

"Nathan...?" she drawled, waiting for a middle name.

"Oh God," he scoffed, casting a reprimanding glance to Haley. He knew, then, that the two women would get along _just_ fine. "It's just Nathan."

They all chuckled again, and Haley wiggled her eyebrows at Lucas when no one else was looking. His response was a serious glare that made her smile in accomplishment at getting a rise out of him.

Peyton and Karen made small talk while Lucas caught up with Nathan and Haley, and pulled Jamie onto his own lap. Lily climbed up onto Nathan, and they all sat like that for a while, before all their conversations blended together. Peyton was asked a series of semi-serious questions about her upbringing, what her courses in school, and various other topics.

Lucas watched on as Peyton interacted with his family, smiling when she made Lily or Jamie laugh, and winking at her when he caught her eye.

Nathan noticed the subtle interaction. He also noticed the bashful looks Peyton would get when Lucas looked at her a certain way. There was no doubt to him that the two blondes were in a little deeper than either of them had admitted. He wouldn't say anything to Haley or Lucas about it, knowing that Haley couldn't keep the gossip to herself, and Lucas wouldn't appreciate the allegations, even if they were true.

Lily very excitedly showed Peyton her bedroom, pointing out all her favourite things and hiding places for her trinkets. Peyton sat at the end of the bed, as instructed, while Lily put on what was apparently a mini fashion show, donning dresses and tiaras and smiling so widely that Peyton herself had to smile. The girl was absolutely adorable, and so different than Lucas was.

"OK, princess," Nathan said with a laugh from his place in the doorway, watching as Lily explained to Peyton why one crown was better than the other. "Time for lunch."

"OK!" she chirped, running past him and out of the room.

"She's hilarious," Peyton said with a smile as she stood from her place.

"She's something," Nathan said, shaking his head. "I'm glad I have a boy."

"Who's awesome, by the way." They started down the hall and Nathan just chuckled. This girl would fit right in with the Scotts, that was for sure.

"He's probably the coolest kid ever," he stated proudly, making her laugh.

"Well, his parents seem pretty fantastic," she pointed out.

He stopped and turned to her, and she smiled up at him, and he pulled her into his arms in a hug she hadn't necessarily expected, but didn't feel uncomfortable with at all.

"You're pretty great, too, Sawyer," he said softly, smiling as they pulled apart.

It was true. Normally, people didn't blend with the family so quickly, because they let all the drama of the past cloud the present. Peyton seemed to just care about the people as they were, and that was something special, if you asked him. And maybe calling her by her last name was just a habit from years and years of locker rooms, but he kind of thought it suited her anyhow.

They entered the kitchen to see Karen and Haley sitting next to their children, ensuring they were eating all their food, and Lucas leaning back against the counter and nursing a cup of coffee.

It had been a long time since Peyton had been around so many people, and while it was amazing, and she adored them all, she couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed by it. Not by the noise or laughter or conversation, but by the comfort and the real sense of family they so obviously had.

She caught Lucas' eye and gestured towards the bedroom, and he nodded. He knew she was telling him that she needed a moment alone, and he totally understood that.

She walked straight through his room and onto the porch, taking a seat on the steps. She didn't know what it was about the visit that had barely even begun, but she found her eyes welling with tears as she looked out on the quiet little street lined with quiet little houses.

She wanted this. She wanted a family and gatherings, and children laughing and talking excitedly. She wanted harmless teasing between brothers, and reprimanding looks from mothers whose children are too old to receive reprimanding looks. She'd never had that. She was an only child, and her mother passed away when she was young, before real traditions could be set in place. Sure, she had a brother, but he was off at a base in Iraq, and she only got to email him occasionally.

She didn't know how long she had been sitting there, but it must have been a while, because Lucas had apparently come to find her.

"You OK?" he asked gently, noticing her sitting there in only her tee shirt and jeans.

"Yeah," she answered quickly, spinning around to see him. She hadn't noticed anyone come outside, so she was happy that she wasn't crying anymore. Certainly he wouldn't have believed her response had she had tears running down her cheeks.

"You sure?" he inquired knowingly.

"You have a real family," she said softly. He looked at her with a smile; the same smile, she noticed, that he got any time he spoke of the people he loved.

"It took us a long time to get like this," he said, half-jokingly.

"I know," she said with a nod, pulling her knees up to her chest. "It's just...so nice to be around."

He'd rarely heard her be so sentimental. Of course, there was the day, nearly two months ago, when they went to visit her mother, then his, but that was different. This was making him want to hold her in his arms and comfort her. Something so simple as a family visit could make her so emotional, and he was reminded of all the things she would have missed out on since her mother passed away.

So he held her in his arms.

He moved a little closer and pulled her into his side, and she leaned against him a little bit, and they sat there quietly for a few minutes.

"Nathan gives really good hugs," she said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"This one not good enough for ya?" he asked. She could hear the smirk he was wearing, and she chuckled in his embrace.

"I'm just not used to family stuff," she said.

"Well, it didn't take you long to fit in," he insisted, running his hand up and down her arm. "They love you."

"That's because they hardly know me," she said self-deprecatingly.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "It's because you're amazing."

"Luke," she whispered softly.

"It's true," he said, pulling away from her and rubbing slow circles on her back.

"Thank you," she said, locking eyes with him as they both smiled.

They heard their names called from inside the house, and he stood up, offering his hand to help her. She placed her hand in his, and it stayed there until they were in the living room. She had butterflies in her stomach the entire time.

She watched Lucas lift Lily from a chair effortlessly before sitting down in it with her on his lap, and he started in on a conversation with his mother as his little sister leaned against his chest. Nathan leaned over to kiss Haley's forehead as Jamie coloured at the table.

She stood and watched it all unfold before moving a little further into the room and taking a seat next to Jamie, reaching for a crayon and helped him with his picture.

And maybe that was the moment she realized she wanted to be a _part_ of that family.


	13. Chapter 13

After dinner, Karen shooed the kids out of the house. Well, she shooed Nathan and Haley, Lucas and Peyton out of the house, promising to watch over Jamie for a while so Nathan and Haley could spend some time alone in their little town. She insisted that Lucas show Peyton around more than he would have been able to the last time they were there.

The four of them walked together for a while, strolling leisurely in the autumn evening though Lucas and Haley's old neighbourhood.

"So, what do you think of us so far?" Nathan asked.

"Can I plead the 5th?" Peyton said teasingly, making them all chuckle. "I'm just a little overwhelmed."

"By how awesome I am? I get that a lot," Nathan said, making Haley and Lucas groan in response.

"Wow. I think I'm getting pushed off the sidewalk by your ego," Peyton said sarcastically.

"I _love_ this girl," Haley laughed, raising her hand to share a high five with the blonde.

"You guys need to give the girl a moment to breathe," Lucas stated, watching with a tinge of jealousy as Nathan draped his arm around Haley, and she tucked into his side. He wanted that. He wanted them to be two couples.

"Actually, we're going to head to the beach," Nathan said with a smirk.

"Ah," Lucas said with a nod. "Little trip down memory lane. If it starts to rain, I'm blaming you two."

"Whatever," Haley scoffed. "You know you love us."

"_Always_ and _forever_," he said teasingly, making Nathan shake his head while Peyton looked on confused.

They said their goodbyes and watched as Nathan and Haley walked off in the opposite direction, hand in hand.

"OK, you want to let me in on all that?" Peyton asked.

"Oh. Right. I forgot that you don't know the whole saga that is their relationship," he said with a laugh. "They got married on the beach when they were 16, they have this weird thing with rain, and their like, catch phrase is 'always and forever'."

"How lame is it that they have a catch phrase?" Peyton scoffed.

"Jealous."

"Yeah," she sighed, making him chuckle.

They walked for a bit in silence, breathing in small town air and quiet. Listening to the sound of the night birds and the wind in the trees. It wasn't until they came upon the old court that she realized where they were going.

"So, overwhelmed, huh?" he asked finally.

It had been on his mind since she'd said the word earlier. He knew what she'd said about family situations, and he knew that she probably just meant that it was different to be around so many people. He wanted to make sure that she was as comfortable as possible during this trip. He could tell that his family loved her, and that she was enamored with them, but he wanted to let her know that if she needed to steal minutes alone, no one would be insulted.

"You know," she said with a shrug. "It's just always been me and my dad, so I'm not used to all the attention."

"But you're OK, though, right?" he asked, taking a seat on the bleachers.

"I'm perfect," she said softly, meeting his eyes through the darkness and seeing him smile.

He couldn't argue with that.

"Know what's weird?" she asked.

"What's that?"

"I feel totally...I dunno...Like, at home with you guys," she confessed, with far more confidence than she even suspected. It was kind of a big deal, and she'd just blurted it out.

"I'm glad," he said softly.

Neither of them said anything more, and she boldly rest her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her a little bit closer to him, and it struck him, then, how romantic a setting it was. Starlight and chilly air and just the breeze and the river making noise. They were at his sacred spot - one of the first places he'd shown her in his little town, and she was curled into his side like she belonged there.

Maybe she did belong there.

They sat for a bit, before they each saw the clouds roll in and felt the rain start to fall. She pulled away to look at him, and they both started to laugh, recalling their earlier conversation with Nathan and Haley.

"Amazing," Peyton said, looking skyward.

"It's just rain," Lucas pointed out with a shrug of his shoulders.

And yet, he was completely mesmerized by the girl next to him and how she viewed the world. She had no idea what she did to him.

"Come on," she said, reaching for his hand as she stood, tugging him towards the middle of the court.

"What are you doing, crazy girl?" he asked with a smirk.

He would have complained about how wet they were getting - it was really starting to pour - but he couldn't say the sight of her, with her clothes clinging to her body, and her hair dripping, was anything to scoff at. She was amazingly sexy, and he'd watch as much of her as she'd let him.

"Just...stand," she instructed, moving so she wasn't even a foot in front of him.

"Stand?"

"Stand," she confirmed.

She tipped her head back a little and closed her eyes, and she let the water wash over her. Some girls danced in the rain, or ran, or played.

She stood.

He watched her, wondering what was going on in her head. And all she was thinking about was him. How that was the most perfect moment to spill her feelings and confess that she wanted to be with him. That she was maybe falling for him. That she _had_ fallen for him. She wanted to lean up on her toes and kiss him in the rain. To catch him off guard with a kiss that would tell him everything she wanted to say.

But she was scared.

She was scared that he didn't feel the same - that he'd never feel the same - and she'd ruin their friendship. She had to live with him, and she couldn't afford for things to be awkward with him.

So they stood there in the pouring rain, and when she opened her eyes and looked at him, she realized that he'd been staring at her the entire time. She didn't know what to think of that, so she simply smiled and licked the rain from her lips innocently.

And that was damn near _the_ most seductive thing he'd seen in his life.

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead before pulling her into his arms in a hug that may have been the most perfect one she'd ever received. He pulled away and pushed the matted hair from her face with both hands before draping his arm over her shoulder again.

He'd wanted to kiss her so badly. He almost had. It would have been amazing, he was sure. But he didn't do it.

"Come on," he said simply.

They walked the whole distance to his house that way, with her arm around his waist and his around her shoulder, and neither questioned it or pulled away. They were drenched to the bone and shivering, and he laughed at her for her crazy antics. She just shrugged her shoulders and said that she'd always loved the rain, no matter how much she hated storms.

Once they stepped inside his bedroom, they realized how late it was, and that the rest of the house was sleeping. Nathan and Haley must have picked up Jamie, and Karen and Lily were asleep.

Peyton shrugged off her wet sweater, and reached for her bag. She rummaged through it, looking for something she knew wasn't there.

"Shit," she muttered, making Lucas turn to her just as he'd, having seemingly forgotten she was there, pulled off his drenched tee shirt.

"What?" he asked as he turned to her.

"I forgot pajamas," she stated. "I always do that."

"Here," he said, walking past her, his skin glistening and his body near irresistible.

He pulled a tee shirt from his drawer and handed it to her, and she smiled and mouthed a thank you. He didn't give her bottoms, she noticed, and she wondered just how much of her his tee shirt would cover. And maybe Brooke was right, once again.

"So, you stay in here. I'll take the couch," he said as he grabbed a pair of flannel pants for himself.

"No way," she said adamantly. "I can't let you do that."

"Don't be dumb!" he said with a smile. "I'm a gentleman."

"And I'm not a snobby girl," she reminded him, making him laugh. "I can take the couch."

"Look, we live together, right?" he asked pointlessly. "You've fallen asleep against me before, right?"

"Uh huh," she said softly. She was pretty sure she knew where this was going, but she didn't want to assume anything.

"We're mature. We can share a bed," he continued.

His voice was calm, but his heart was beating rapidly, and he wondered why he'd suggested it. This was going to take every ounce of self control he had.

"Is that OK with your mom?" Peyton asked skeptically. She really, really hoped he'd say it was.

"It'll be fine," he said with a shrug. "Be right back."

He disappeared into the hallway and tugged the door closed behind him. She shed her jeans and pulled on a pair of boy cut shorts, and his tee shirt, and she pulled her hair up into a ponytail. She'd just hung her clothes on hangers on the door knob to dry, when he stepped back into the room.

The sight of her in nothing but his tee shirt was enough to make him regret suggesting that they share a bed. What the hell was he thinking? The blue fabric hit her mid-thigh, and it gaped at the neck, revealing her collar bone.

He was an idiot, it was official. He either had to make a move soon, or get over her.

He knew he wouldn't be able to get over her.

She smiled almost nervously and pulled back the covers, sitting down and tucking her legs beneath them. She pulled the sheets up to her chin as he climbed in next to her, and they each said a goodnight before he turned out his bedside lamp.

It was probably 20 minutes later when he felt her shiver next to him. He hadn't even realized that she was still awake.

"Are you still cold?" he asked worriedly, turning his head toward her.

"Freezing," she chuckled.

"Come here," he said, moving his arm so she could get closer to him.

She curled into his side and got comfortable, and she realized that was the most comfortable she'd been in a really long time. He cupped her shoulder with his hand, and she draped her leg over his a little bit, and he seriously wondered if she was made for him.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"Any time."

She didn't know what that meant, but she knew what she wanted it to mean.

She didn't want to misinterpret anything, but she was sharing his bed with him. He'd invited her for the weekend, and asked her to share his bed, and opened his arms to her.

That had to count for something.

----

Peyton didn't expect to be woken at 7:00 a.m. by a very excited three year old, jumping up onto the bed and snuggling between she and Lucas.

"Morning," Peyton mumbled, her voice thick with sleep. She glanced over and saw that Lucas was still dead to the world.

"Morning," Lily whispered. "Mommy said not to wake up Lukey and you. Sorry."

"It's OK," Peyton said softly.

"She's not making breakfast till everybody's up," Lily said, in that same childish whisper, making Peyton smile.

"So what are you gonna do?" Peyton asked, watching as the little girl squirmed and wiggled to get comfortable, then lay her head back on the pillow and pulled the blankets to her chest.

"Stay here with you till he gets up," she said with a little grin.

Peyton chuckled and nodded her head, and Lily leaned over and rest her head on Peyton's shoulder and closed her eyes. Peyton saw Karen appear at the door with a fond smile on her lips, and she smiled back before the older woman tugged the door closed once more.

Lily and Peyton both drifted back to sleep, with Lily tucked into Peyton's side and the older girl's arm around her, and Peyton eventually resting her head against Lily's. When Lucas woke up at 8:30, he looked over at the two slumbering girls in his bed, and all he could do was smile. Lily was clearly smitten with Peyton, and it seemed the feeling was mutual.

He leaned over, kissed Lily's temple and watched as her eyes fluttered open.

"Hi," he said with a smirk.

"Hmm," she mumbled. "I didn't wake you up."

"No you didn't," he said softly, suppressing a chuckle before looking to the beautiful blonde again. "Should we wake her?"

"Uh huh," Lily nodded. "You have to kiss her like you kiss me."

"How come?" he asked with a furrowed brow.

"'Cause that's what you do," she stated, as though it were the most obvious answer in the world.

He'd been doing it since she was a baby, and somehow, every time he kissed her temple in a certain way, the little girl would wake up. It was mind-boggling to both Karen and Lucas how she knew to wake when he did it, but it always worked without fail.

So he leaned across the bed and he pressed an admittedly lingering kiss to Peyton's temple, and he waited as her body stretched a little and her eyes opened. She smiled immediately upon seeing the two people next to her, looking at her and wearing matching grins.

"Did we both fall asleep?" Peyton asked Lily, and the girl nodded emphatically. "Oh."

"It's OK," Lily insisted. "He just woke up."

"Why don't you go tell mommy we'll be out soon, OK?" Lucas suggested. Peyton smiled at the grown man's use of the word 'mommy'. Lily was off the bed and out the door almost before he'd even gotten the words out.

"She has too much energy in the morning," Peyton muttered. "I need coffee."

He chuckled and stood up, stretching his arms over his head as she gazed up at him.

"Sleep well?" he asked.

"Amazing, actually."

"Me too," he said. It wasn't lost on him that with her in his arms, he gotten the best night's sleep he'd had in ages.

She stood up and went to stretch before realizing that if she did, it wouldn't necessarily be appropriate, and he saw the pink rise to her cheeks as she fiddled with the tee shirt.

"I need pants or something," she said, pulling him from his trance.

"Do you?" he asked with a cheeky grin. She tilted her head questioningly and he elaborated. "You just...look good in my shirt."

"Thanks," she said coyly. "But I don't want to flash your mom."

"I'm sure she'll appreciate the consideration," he said with a laugh, pulling a pair of sweat pants from his drawer and handing them to her.

He watched, perhaps too intently, as she tugged them on, catching a glimpse of a black pair of underwear that either showed too much or not enough skin, depending on who you asked. To him, of course, it was not enough.

He needed to make a decision on what he was going to do. He needed to talk to her. Every time he thought she was opening up to him, she'd change the subject. Little glances that he could have interpreted as flirtatious, he wasn't sure were. He was trying to be subtle, but he didn't know if she was getting the message.

Maybe she was, and she just didn't want to hear it.

Peyton and Lucas stepped out of his bedroom to see Karen pouring two cups of coffee, and french toast - which they all knew was Lucas' favourite - cooking on the stove.

"Good morning," Karen said happily. "It's been far too quiet with all you sleepy heads in there."

"I really didn't expect to sleep that late," Peyton said seriously, gratefully taking the coffee from Karen and mouthing a thank you. "These two are just good cuddlers, I guess."

Both women looked to Lucas, who was holding Lily on his lap, and the two Scott children looked at them innocently as they smiled.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Karen asked as she dished out breakfast.

"Best friend time," Haley stated as she stepped through the door. The girl had insane hearing, and must have heard the question from outside.

"Nice! Just in time for breakfast," Nathan said with a smile as Jamie was perched on his arm.

"I had a feeling you'd be over," Karen said as she laughed. "I made plenty."

They all sat down to eat, the meal filled with the laughter and conversation Peyton was getting so used to. After they were done, she went to have a quick shower while everyone else seemingly planned their day. She walked from the bathroom, back to Lucas' bedroom, shooting him a smile along the way, which didn't go unnoticed by Nathan.

She'd just pulled her sweater over her head when there was a tap at the door and she called out for the person to enter.

"Hey," Lucas said when he saw her, folding the tee shirt she'd slept in.

"Hey."

"So listen, Haley wants to hang out one on one today, but I don't want to leave you on your own, so if you want to..."

"Luke, I'll be fine," she said, interrupting him.

"My mom just left to open the café for the lunch rush, and Haley and I are taking Lily and Jamie. I don't know what Nathan's doing," he explained.

"I'm sure I can entertain myself," she insisted with a chuckle. "Maybe I'll explore a little bit."

"Won't take you long," he said with a laugh. "Are you sure? Because, I mean, I'm sure Haley would understand."

"Lucas, it's OK," she said seriously. "Go catch up with your best friend!"

"You're the best," he said, pulling her into his side and pressing a kiss to her temple. "I'll see you later, OK? We don't lock the doors, so you've pretty much got free reign. Call me if you need anything."

"I will," she said in exasperation. "Get the hell out of...your room."

He laughed again and sent her a smile before heading back into the main part of the house.

She pulled her hair up into a messy bun and grabbed her jacket and purse before heading out the door.

She started walking. She didn't know where she was going or what she'd find, but she just started walking. The only places she knew in the town were the café and the River Court. She'd seen a few others as she'd driven around with Lucas, but beyond that, she knew nothing. It was kind of nice to be able to stroll leisurely though the little town without an agenda or a place to go or any real reason to walk other than she simply wanted to.

She found herself on the main street through town, stopping in at little shops and a really cool record store. She just couldn't help herself, and bought a couple records she didn't own yet. After a serious chat about music with the owner of the store, she stepped back onto the street and made her way to the little café across the street.

"Peyton," Karen said happily from behind the counter, "what are you doing here?"

"Will you judge me if I have a third cup of coffee?" Peyton asked with a smile.

"If I did, I'd be a hypocrite," Karen said, holding up her own mug.

She filled a paper cup and fixed the coffee just as she'd seen Peyton do that morning - one milk, two sugar.

"So what are you up to? Lucas was afraid to leave you alone," Karen stated.

"I swear, he's like my watchdog or something," Peyton said, making them both laugh. "I think he forgets that I'm a grown woman, and I actually had a life before him."

"That's our Lucas," Karen said, shaking her head as she smiled. "Always trying to save everyone."

"He's something," Peyton said, looking down to the counter and toying with her coffee cup.

Karen could see, plain and clear, that this girl had feelings for her son. There was no doubt. She'd seen the stolen glances and the little smiles, and the way they'd been laying in bed that morning. None of it bothered her in the least. It was about time her son found someone as wonderful as Peyton.

Peyton reached into her bag for her wallet, but Karen's voice stopped her.

"Don't you dare," the older woman insisted. "I'm not taking your money."

"Karen..."

"No," she said tersely, and Peyton could only roll her eyes, signaling defeat.

"I'm going to keep checking out your little town," Peyton stated, standing from her place.

"OK, honey, I'll see you later at the house," Karen said with a smile.

"Thanks for the coffee," Peyton called over her shoulder as she headed for the door.

Karen was left standing behind the counter, watching the young blonde woman glide down the street, knowing that her son had better act on his feelings soon. That girl wouldn't stay single for long; that much Karen knew.

She walked towards the river, where she knew it to be, and she looked across at that old basketball court, and before she could even think about what she was doing, that's where she was headed. She had walked over the bridge, stopping to look out over the water, and made her way along the path to the park.

She sat herself on top of the picnic table and dropped her things on the grass, and she pulled out her iPod, clicking through to find what she deemed the perfect music to listen to.

She felt strange to be there without him. Without Lucas next to her, she felt out of place there. She felt like she was trespassing on his life and his most sacred place.

And yet she still somehow felt the same calm that she'd felt since they entered the town the day before. She felt like she might just belong in Tree Hill, somehow, and she figured that the man who'd invited her there had everything to do with that.

She was listening to her music softly enough to be able to hear the sounds of the town, and she shouldn't have been surprised to hear the ball bouncing on pavement behind her.

"Oh," Nathan said in surprise when he saw the figure sitting on the picnic table. "Hey, Peyton."

"Hi," she said with a smile. "Can't get enough of the game, huh?"

"Never," he said, chuckling as he sat down next to her. "What's up? Where's Luke? Still with Haley?"

"I guess," she said, shrugging her shoulders as she wrapped her arms around herself.

"Aren't you two kind of joined at the hip?" he asked with a smirk.

"Uh...not really," she chuckled. "And isn't she your wife?"

He laughed a little, watching her as she turned off her music and took a deep breath.

"What's going on?" he asked knowingly, furrowing his brow.

She may have thought, and been told, that she was a total mystery, but the Scott boys sure seemed to have her all figured out.

"Nothing," she insisted, smiling over at him. "It's just...a weird time of year."

"Not buying it," he said, shaking his head. "Spill it, Sawyer."

"It's nothing!"

"Liar!" he laughed, bumping her shoulder with his. "I might not be as book smart as my brother, but I know women better than he does."

"What does that mean?" she asked defensively.

"It means that I've been married for a long time, and I can tell when you girls are keeping things to yourselves," he explained with a laugh.

"Aren't you lucky," she mumbled teasingly.

"It's a gift," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "So you might as well just admit to me that you're into Luke."

"I'm...What!?" she asked with wide eyes. "No."

"Don't play it like that," he said, shaking his head to let her know that she couldn't fool him. "You two have been having crazy eye sex pretty much non stop."

Her jaw dropped and her eyes went even wider, and he just chuckled at her reaction.

"I _don't_ like you," she said, not seriously at all, making him laugh as she turned to him.

"I know," he said, grinning again. "You like _Lucas_."

"Who all knows?" she asked timidly.

"Uh...everyone," he offered, making her groan and roll her eyes.

"Do you think _he_ knows?" Her voice was quiet and shy, and he couldn't tell what answer she wanted. Maybe she didn't know, herself.

"Like I said, I know women better than he does," Nathan started. "So he probably doesn't."

"This sucks," she muttered beneath her breath as she buried her face in her hands.

He debated telling her that Lucas had feelings for her, too, but he didn't know how much he should meddle in their relationship. Surely, they couldn't do this little dance forever, and one of them would have to admit something to the other.

"You could do better," he joked, making her raise an eyebrow at him.

"But _you're_ married," she teased coyly. They both erupted into laughter at that.

Nathan realized then, that this girl was far cooler than he'd even originally thought. She was sarcastic and funny, and smart and self-deprecating. She was a lot like him in quite a few ways, but even more like his brother in others. He was convinced of two things: she was perfect for Lucas, and she could become one of his good friends. He liked having girls as friends, he just didn't have many. This girl was different.

"What are you gonna do?" he asked gently.

"Nothing," she said with a shrug. "If it's meant to be, it'll be, right?"

"But sometimes you have to go after the things you want," he countered, spinning the ball in his hands. "Haley hated me for a long time, but I eventually wore her down."

"Why'd she finally cave?" she asked with a laugh.

"Because I'm fucking charming!" he said defensively, making them both laugh again.

"Clearly," she said, shaking her head.

"Seriously," he started, "you can't just expect him to read your mind."

"OK, do you know something I don't?" she asked seriously.

"I just know that Luke can be his own worst enemy. He over-thinks things, and makes things harder than they need to be sometimes," Nathan explained. "He's been burned before, so he's kind of careful with his heart and whatever."

"And whatever?" she asked with a smirk, making him shrug his shoulders again.

She wanted to know more about Lucas' past relationships, but she figured she might better hear them from the man himself. She knew how she'd feel if he went behind her back and started asking her friends for information, and she didn't want to do that to him.

"But something tells me that you wouldn't hurt him," Nathan said quietly, glancing over at her just in time to see a small smile spread across her lips.

"Wasn't planning on it," she whispered.

He unexpectedly threw his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his side, and she leaned against him a little bit before standing and taking the ball from him. He taunted her about her game, and told her he was about to 'school' her, and she reminded him that he'd pretty much school anyone.

They stayed there for about an hour, laughing and joking, him letting her make a few easy shots and teaching her a few moves, and when Lucas and Haley were walking on the other side of the river with Lily and Jamie, they could both only smile at what they could see. Haley smiled up at Lucas, and he just shook his head and chuckled.

He should have known that Nathan would get along well with Peyton.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** What can I say? I'm feeling generous. Two chapters in two days, because you asked so nicely. Let me know what you think!

**_----_**

Haley could see what was stealing Lucas' attention, and she knew it wasn't Nathan's game. It was the leggy blonde across the river making her husband laugh.

"So," she started as they sat at a table and let the kids eat ice cream, "how long have you had feelings for Peyton?"

His eyes shot up to meet hers, and she was looking at him in that way that let him know that he couldn't fool her if he tried. He heaved a sigh, ran his hand over his face and shook his head. Was he really that transparent?

"A while," he answered vaguely.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Haley asked, concern in her tone and her features softened.

She wouldn't tease him; she knew better than that. Lucas guarded his heart fiercely, and she had been able to tell since she first saw him casting glances at the pretty blonde the day before that this was different.

"I kind of didn't want it to be true," he admitted. He looked to the kids who were too wrapped up in their treats to really care about the conversation going on around them.

"How bad is it?" she asked, referring to the crush.

"Bad enough that it isn't going away," he said, almost regrettably. "And I don't want it to."

"Wow," Haley whispered. She'd never really heard him talk that way about a girl. Ever.

"Is it really that obvious?" he asked, terrified that everyone, including the girl herself, knew.

"Kind of. Even Nathan noticed the eye sex," she said.

"Hales!" Lucas cried, looking towards the kids. She just waved her hand in the air and the two toddlers remained oblivious.

"So what are you going to do?" she asked seriously.

"I don't know," he sighed. "I really don't think she feels the same."

"You're an idiot," she said softly, shaking her head.

"Uh...thanks...?"

"Lucas, she's looking at you the same way you're looking at her," Haley pointed out. "And she's not looking at anyone else that way."

The way Haley just explained it, made it sound like the most obvious and easy thing in the world.

"This sucks," he groaned.

"Can we play?" Jamie asked excitedly, and Haley nodded her head as they all stood and made their way to the park.

Maybe it _was_ as easy as Haley made it sound. Since he'd met Peyton, it had been a whirlwind of emotions and flirtations and moments of either complete comfort and security, or awkward encounters over feelings he didn't know she felt. The drawing, for example. God, even thinking about it made him involuntarily shiver. But what maybe meant the most to him, was that they could be - and were - totally honest with each other.

And what hurt the most was knowing that, despite that honesty, she hadn't said anything to him about feeling more for him than just a simple friendship. He chalked that up to her not feeling anything for him other than that, but the way Haley had just spoken had made it sound like everyone else could see what he was so hopeful for. After all, he hadn't been honest with Peyton, either.

Lucas and Haley sat down on the bench and watched as Lily and Jamie chased each other, giggling and smiling before making their way to the swings.

"I can't...I mean, I can't act on it, right?" Lucas asked, almost making it sound like he wanted her to tell him that he couldn't.

"Um...why not?" she asked in confusion.

"Because we're roommates, and that just...It can't work," he said.

"Why are you trying to convince yourself that it isn't worth it?" Haley asked seriously, and she heard him sigh. "Lucas, Peyton is an _amazing_ girl, and you and I wouldn't even be having this conversation if you didn't know that you two could have something really good."

"But what if it's not?" he asked.

"What if it _is_, and you never do anything about it?" she mused, raising her eyebrow as she looked at him.

She was right. He knew she was right, and he was glad, on one hand, that it wasn't all in his head; that someone else saw the potential too. On the other hand, he had to figure out how to broach the topic with Peyton, and even the thought of that was making his stomach turn.

The girl had a hold on him. It was like an iron grip.

----

When Lucas stepped into his bedroom, he saw Peyton wearing different clothes than he'd seen her wearing earlier, and she was drying her hair with a towel. He'd entered through that door out of habit, forgetting that she was staying in his bedroom. He couldn't decide if he was lucky, or unlucky, to have missed out on her getting changed.

"Hey," she said with a smile. "How was your best friend day?"

"It was great," he answered. "We saw you and Nathan."

"Oh," she laughed. "My private one-on-one lesson with the NBA player."

"Looked like you were doing alright," he pointed out.

"Well, I'll have to show you my moves sometime," she said.

And he couldn't help but interpret that sexually. God, he really needed to stop looking at her that way.

But then she pulled her still-wet curls into a messy knot and ran her hand over the back of her neck, and that was pretty much the sexiest thing she could have done that moment.

"Listen, you wanna do something?" he asked abruptly, grabbing his keys.

He'd been thinking about it since his talk with Haley, and all he wanted to do was spend some time with Peyton alone. It had been a couple days of the two of them around everyone else, and maybe it was selfish, but he wanted her to himself for a bit.

"Um...yeah," she said in confusion. "Like what?"

She reached for her bag and pulled her jacket over her arms, and watched the smile spread on his lips when she said she'd go with him.

"I have an idea," he said with a smirk.

"What?" she asked, a little bit of a whine in her tone. "You know how I feel about surprises."

"You trust me?"

She rolled her eyes. Of course, she trusted him, but she hated when he used that as a reason not to tell her what he was planning.

"I think you use that line too often," she muttered as she walked past him and out the door. He could only laugh. He kind of loved to keep her guessing.

And guess she did. She didn't recognize the route they were driving up the coast, though she certainly enjoyed the salty ocean breeze that was coming through the windows. She insisted on rolling them down and forcing him to turn on the heat as they drove. He loved that about her. She didn't have reasons for half the things she did, and he had quickly learned that she didn't need them.

It wasn't until the came up to the city limits sign for her hometown that she realized where he was taking her.

"Lucas," she said softly.

"I thought you might like to visit your mom," he said with a smile, glancing over at her to see the appreciative look on her face.

"Thank you," she whispered, placing her hand over his on the gear shift. It felt natural for her to do so, and when she didn't pull her hand away immediately, that felt better still.

He didn't know why she was still holding his hand, but he wasn't about to question it. He'd take anything she was going to give him. It wasn't until they parked at the cemetery that she let go of him, smiling again before they got out of the car.

"I'll wait here," he said, leaning up against the driver's side door. He gave her one of those smiles that always encouraged her, and she wondered how he always knew exactly what she needed.

She walked over to the familiar spot on the grass and sat down, and she must have spent 15 minutes talking, or just sitting in silence, before she stood and walked back to him.

He watched her as she sat there, obviously saying a lot of things that he wished he could have heard. He smiled at her as she walked back to him, but he didn't expect the hug she gave him when she got to him.

"Thank you," she repeated.

He pulled away from her and just nodded his head at her before opening her car door for her.

"We aren't in a big rush, right?" she asked. "I mean, if I buy you a coffee at my favourite coffee shop in the world, we'll still be back in time for dinner."

"Sure," he said with a laugh. "Just tell me where to drive."

He took the turns she told him to take, and she pointed out things to him that she hadn't shown him the last time they were there. Her favourite record store, and the boutique that sold Brooke's first designs. The club where Jake played his first shows and the magazine that first published her art. It was nice to be let in on some of her history. He felt more connected to her, somehow.

They stepped out of the car and began walking down the street towards the coffee shop she insisted made the best Americano she'd ever had. They were in the middle of the sidewalk when she grabbed his hand urgently.

"Shit," she said under her breath. He could tell there was something going on, and he was unnerved immediately at her reaction to whatever it was.

"What?" he asked, concerned.

"Julian."

"Who's...?"

"Him," she said, gesturing towards a man on the street subtly. "Don't look!"

"That guy?" he asked incredulously as he saw the man walking in their direction. "Who is _he_?"

"The guy who broke my heart," she explained. "Just...just..."

"Peyton?" the man said, clearly surprised to see her.

She wove her fingers through Lucas', and it shocked him a little, but he squeezed her hand in support anyway. He'd come to know when she needed him, and she certainly did at that moment. Not to mention, her hand felt really nice in his.

"Hey," she said. She said it as nonchalantly as she could, but Lucas could still hear the tension in her voice.

"How...um...how are you?" Julian asked. "I haven't seen you in...A year?"

"Something like that," she agreed. She knew exactly how long it had been. "This is Lucas. Lucas, this is Julian."

"Nice to meet you," Lucas lied, extending his free hand for the man to shake.

"What are you doing here?" Peyton asked.

"Thanksgiving. My mom insisted I come home," Julian explained. "You know how she is. I couldn't say no. You visiting your dad?"

"Actually, we're with Lucas' family," she corrected.

She was well aware of what she was doing. She was making it sound like Lucas was her boyfriend, and that probably wasn't fair to either of the men before her, but she couldn't find it in herself to really care about that too much. It was selfish and silly, but she just needed Lucas' hand in hers to get through this encounter.

"Oh," Julian said, glancing to Lucas again. "Well...It's good to see you. I um...I miss you."

Lucas felt his anger growing. He didn't know this guy at all, but he knew guys like this. They break girls' hearts and then say things like that to make it impossible for anyone to ever really get over them. They toy with peoples' emotions, and he didn't want that happening to Peyton, though it was clear that it had been happening for a long time.

He also wondered what kind of guy made claims like that to girls who were holding the hands of other men.

"Babe," Lucas said, checking his watch, "we have to get back on the road soon."

Peyton looked up at him with a genuine smile, as though she were thanking him for saving her, and he smiled back at her.

"Yeah, we do," she agreed. "Bye, Julian."

"Bye, Peyton," he said, almost regrettably.

She walked away, tugging Lucas with her and leading him into the coffee shop, leaving Julian standing in the middle of the sidewalk watching the couple walk away.

"Thank you," she said once they were inside, for what felt like the infinite time that day. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..."

"You dated that guy?" he asked. He couldn't really believe it.

"Two years," she confirmed. "Until he moved to L.A. and I found out he was sleeping with some skinny, blonde PA."

"Peyton, you're a skinny blonde," he pointed out, making her laugh. And making her laugh was exactly what he'd set out to do.

"Anyway, it didn't end well, and I haven't seen him since we broke up, and...that wasn't easy for me," she explained.

"Well, he was totally jealous, if that helps," Lucas said with a shrug. "But he's not good enough for you."

She looked at him with a furrowed brow, wondering why he'd say that and how he knew it from just that brief meeting. But she didn't ask. She didn't want to talk about her ex anymore. It was then that she realized that she was still holding Lucas' hand, and she let it go and smiled at him apologetically.

"Come on," she said, "I'll buy you coffee."

It wasn't until they were back in the car that she had the nerve to ask him the question that had been on her mind since her conversation with Nathan earlier in the day. Nathan had said that Lucas had been burned before, and she wanted to know more about that. She thought that maybe since she'd just opened up to him about her past, that he could open up to her about his without it seeming like she was just fishing for information.

"What about you?" she asked abruptly.

"What about me?" He took his eyes off the road momentarily to glance at her. Her body was turned on an angle towards him, and she was cradling her coffee cup in both hands, like she always did.

"Past relationships," she clarified. "You know about my crappy taste in men, so what about you?"

"I have fantastic taste in men," he joked, making her swat his arm as he laughed. "You really don't want to hear about my past."

"Then why did I ask?"

He looked at her again and she had a raised eyebrow, as though she was challenging him to just open up to her already.

"OK, long story, or short story?" he asked, finally giving in.

"Whichever one you want to tell," she insisted, almost giddy to hear the gossip. He could only shake his head at her enthusiasm.

"My last girlfriend was Lindsey. She was...she is...older," he explained. "We met at a lecture at the school. Well, I should say that she _was_ the lecturer."

"Very Mrs. Robinson," Peyton interjected.

"Not exactly," he laughed. "She's only 27, but she works for her dad's publishing company in New York."

"Was it serious?" she asked.

"Serious enough that I almost gave her a ring," he admitted quietly.

"Oh...wow."

"Until I found out that she already _had_ a ring," he said, glancing at Peyton again, just in time to see her jaw drop. "She was engaged to some guy who worked with her."

"I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head.

"So yeah, a year and a half of a serious relationship, before realizing that ours wasn't the only serious relationship she was in," he said, then let out a sigh.

"What is with people!?" she cried, making him chuckle. "Honestly! We...you and I...we're catches!" He just laughed a little harder and she swatted his arm. "I'm totally serious. We're attractive, young, smart...I like to think we're fun. And yet, neither of us can find suitable people to date."

He really wanted to tell her that maybe that all meant that they were perfect for each other. It was right there on the tip of his tongue.

"Well, maybe the lack of dates is the universe's way of helping us to not waste our time with the wrong people," he offered. It sounded a little too philosophical as soon as he'd said it, but he saw her nodding her head in agreement.

They were quiet for a few moments, until an old Boston song came on the radio.

"I love this song!" she claimed, turning up the volume and bobbing her head to the music.

Considering the encounter she'd had with her ex, she certainly seemed to be in a good mood. He wanted to think he had a little bit to do with that.

He laughed at her for knowing the lyrics to all the songs played on the drive home, and she explained that classic rock was her 'bread and butter', and he reminded her that he lived across the hall from her, so he knew what she listened to.

By the time they got back to Tree Hill, they were both in great spirits, laughing and smiling, and playing Name That Tune. She made fun of him for his lack of singing talent, and that only made him sing louder.

They were giggling together when they stepped out of the car at his house, and Nathan and Haley were sitting on the porch watching the kids as they ran and played in the yard.

"Well, well," Nathan called out. "We thought you two skipped town."

"We kind of did," Peyton said, trying to catch her breath. She placed her hand over her stomach, her muscles aching from laughing so hard.

"Ooookay," Haley drawled, signaling her confusion over that statement. "Your mom's making dinner."

"Alright," Lucas said with a nod. "I think I see a little girl who needs to be tormented."

"You better be talking about Lily," Peyton warned with a raised eyebrow.

He winked at her and took off, running after the brown haired little girl, making her squeal when he lifted her up from behind and tossed her in the air.

Nathan and Haley watched as Peyton gazed at Lucas, both well aware that the girl was in deep. Nathan looked at his wife with a raised eyebrow, and she just smiled up at him.

"I'm going to see if Karen needs help," Peyton announced looking over to Nathan and Haley, rolling her eyes when Nathan wiggled his eyebrows at her and glanced at Lucas.

When Peyton stepped into the house, she was met with a lot of really great smells coming from the kitchen. She should have known that Karen would be preparing a feast, despite the fact Thanksgiving dinner would be the next night. She seemed to be hell bent on making sure everyone over-ate. Peyton couldn't say that was necessarily a bad thing.

"Wow. This is a spread," Peyton observed, stepping into the kitchen.

She saw just about every course imaginable, filling all the counter space in the kitchen.

"Oh! It's nothing," Karen said, waving off the younger woman's comment. Peyton could only laugh.

"Can I do something? Give me a job," Peyton insisted.

"How do you feel about salad?" Karen asked, pointing to where she had all the ingredients ready to be washed, cut, and tossed.

"I feel great about it," Peyton said with a smile.

Peyton washed her hands, grabbed a knife and went to work on her task, and the two women worked away for a few minutes in silence, smiling at each other when they realized just how comfortable they were together.

But the mother - and the gossip - in Karen had to ask questions about her son's relationship with this girl. And she suspected Peyton knew those questions were coming.

"Sooo..." Karen drawled out, making Peyton laugh.

"I _so_ knew you were going to say something," she said as she smiled. "I knew we couldn't just stand here."

"I'm sorry!" Karen said with a chuckle. "But you can't expect me to just not ask you about Lucas."

"Well, what do you want to know?" Peyton asked.

"I'm going to put this gently, since you're holding a knife, and I don't need to scare you and have you cutting off a finger," Karen teased. "But how long have you and Lucas been playing this game?"

"What game?" Peyton asked with a furrowed brow.

"The one that has you each pretending that you aren't interested in the other," Karen offered.

Peyton's heart raced a little at the insinuation that Lucas had feelings for her, too.

"Are you and Nathan conspiring?" Peyton inquired curiously, making them both laugh again. "I don't know. Lucas and I...we...get along. And it's just...I've never really had this with someone before."

"These feelings?"

"More like...the comfort and...it's just natural with us, you know?" Peyton explained.

It didn't scare her that she was saying these things to Lucas' mother. It didn't faze her in the least to know that she was opening up to a woman she barely knew. She thought that maybe that had a lot to do with the fact that Karen was a lot like Lucas.

"Well, I know he feels the same way about you," Karen insisted.

"I just...I'm not sure if that translates over into a relationship. Like, maybe the friendship is great, and that's all it'll be," Peyton said.

Karen didn't believe that for a second, but she didn't want to push the girl and scare her or make her uncomfortable, so she'd play along.

"And would that be enough for you?" she asked delicately.

"I think...I think it could be," Peyton said softly.

She knew that Karen knew she was lying, and when their eyes locked, she offered a lopsided smile before going back to work on the salad.

When Lucas walked in with Lily at his side fifteen minutes later, he had to smile at the sight of his mother and Peyton, laughing together while Peyton set the table for dinner and Karen put the finishing touches on their meal.

"Peyton!" Lily shouted, running forward and throwing her arms around the blonde's legs. "I missed you today."

"You did?" Peyton asked, lifting the girl into her arms. "I missed you, too."

Karen shot Lucas a look, and he just rolled his eyes at her. He knew his mother, and he could decode that look, and he really didn't need her, along with Haley, questioning him so obviously.

"Where did you go?" Lily asked.

"I just walked around for a bit this morning, then Lucas and I went to Wilmington," Peyton explained.

"Why?" Lily asked, in that adorable way that young children are known to do.

"That's where I grew up," Peyton said with a smile.

"What did you do there?"

Peyton thought for a moment, trying to think of the best way to explain the visit to the little girl without getting into a while discussion about death and cemeteries and cheating ex-boyfriends.

"We went to a few of my favourite places in the world," she said, happy with the words she'd chosen. Lucas shot her a smile from across the room, and she had to smile back. "Then we drove back here and Luke was singing."

"Luke can't sing!" Lily said as she giggled.

"I know," Peyton laughed. "He's pretty bad."

"He's better at reading stories," Lily insisted, making them all laugh.

"OK, Lily, why don't you go wash your hands?" Karen said with a chuckle. Peyton set the girl on her feet and she took off down the hall.

"Everyone's always ganging up on me," Lucas pouted.

"It's just too easy," Peyton said with a shrug.

"Lucas, could you go get Nathan and Haley and tell them dinner's almost ready. Peyton, would you mind checking on Lily to make sure she's not taking a bath in there?" Karen said, smiling at her own exaggeration. "She tends to get a little carried away."

"No problem," Peyton laughed, turning on her heel and walking down the hall.

"I like her," Karen said in a hurried whisper before Lucas could to back outside.

"Mom!"

"A _lot_," she confirmed.

"OK, I get it. You like her," he said seriously, reaching for the doorknob.

He knew what his mother's statement meant. It meant that she approved, and that should he date Peyton, Karen would be just fine - thrilled even - with that.

Once everyone was seated at the table and enjoying their meal, Peyton watched the family interact again, much like she had the day before. Nathan and Lucas talked about ball and Haley and the kids, and Haley and Karen laughed over just about anything they were talking about. Lily and Jamie were blissfully unaware of the adult conversations going on around them. Peyton joined in on conversations and laughed at the stories that were being told, and it all felt natural. She wasn't _trying_ to fit in - she just _was_ fitting in.

They were all enjoying ice cream and brownies for dessert, and an uncharacteristic lull came over the table. It was quiet, and it seemed as though all the adults were thinking about just how nice it was for them all to be there together, enjoying each others' company.

"You and Lukey should kiss," Lily said seriously, out of nowhere, looking up at the woman sitting next to her.

"Oh! Uh...What?" Peyton stuttered as everyone else went wide eyed and Nathan laughed. She would have shot him a glare if it wouldn't have totally given her away.

"Uh huh," Lily insisted. "Because you're pretty, and boys are supposed to kiss pretty girls."

"Lil, sweetie, it's not as easy as that," Lucas said delicately, coming to Peyton's rescue.

But in his head, he was thinking that it _was_ that easy.

"The boy and the girl have to want to kiss," Haley explained. She remembered what her son had said to Lucas when he'd visited Atlanta, and she had to smile at how kids viewed the world.

Nathan nudged his wife's knee under the table, telling her without words to quit meddling. Sure, they each knew that the two blondes shared requited feelings, but he felt they needed to find that out on their own.

"Don't you _want_ to kiss her?" Lily asked innocently.

Nathan let out a laugh that he covered with a cough, and Peyton forcefully pushed his water glass toward him as she scowled at him. He took a sip of water, and his eyes met hers, and he just smirked. He was enjoying this far too much.

Her heart was racing as she waited to hear whatever Lucas had to say. She was sure he wouldn't bare his soul in front of his entire family to appease the imagination of a three year old, but she still wondered how he was going to respond. Part of her kind of wished he would just bare his soul, whatever that meant for her; for them.

"I think a lot of boys want to kiss Peyton," he answered honestly, smiling at the blonde girl sitting next to his sister.

She could feel her cheeks getting red, and she lowered her head to try to hide it, but that, apparently just brought more attention upon her.

"OK, now you've embarrassed her," Nathan pointed out. "Come on, let's talk about something that's not gonna make anyone uncomfortable."

Karen and Haley were looking at each other wide-eyed, shocked that Lucas had just admitted that in front of everyone, and Nathan was looking at Lucas, nodding in appreciation at the words the blonde had chosen. Lucas could only shake his head, then glance at Peyton, hoping he really hadn't embarrassed her too much.

Lucas and Nathan took care of the dishes, with Jamie's 'help', while the girls sat in the living room and talked. Karen explained that Deb would be over the following evening for Thanksgiving dinner, and Haley and Karen had a field day describing the woman to the newcomer. It was all harmless, however, and Peyton could tell that.

When the boys stepped back into the room, Nathan elbowed Lucas in the ribs when he saw Peyton and Haley sharing a laugh over something or another. Lucas just shook his head before walking over to Peyton and standing behind her.

"Let's go for a walk," he said, leaning down to speak in her ear.

And if those kinds of statements, and that low tone of voice wouldn't give her chills, she didn't know what would.

She smiled at Karen, who was looking at her knowingly, as she stood from her spot, and Lucas handed her her jacket when she met him at the door.

She wrapped her arms around herself as they started down the sidewalk in silence. She didn't know why he'd had her join him, but it was pretty much a given that she'd go anywhere he asked her to.

"I'm sorry," he said after a block or two.

"For what?" she asked absently, glancing at a big, old house as they strolled past it.

"For...earlier. With Lily and...everything," he elaborated.

"Kids, right?" she said with a chuckle, turning to look up at him. He was looking down to the sidewalk, but she could see the dimple on his cheek. She loved that dimple.

They ended up, by no surprise, at the River Court, sitting on the bleachers together in the dark of his little town.

Her knee brushed up against his, but neither moved. Neither wanted to.

She wondered if maybe that was all the confirmation she needed that he felt the same things she was feeling.

"Do you?" she asked out of nowhere.

"Do I what?" he asked confusedly, turning to face her.

There was a perfect amount of moonlight falling upon her, casting shadows on her face and making her look even more perfect than usual. He had to force himself to focus on her words, other than how amazing she looked.

"Do you want to kiss me?"

Her voice was timid and shy and coy, and it was somehow heartbreaking and incredible all the same.

She wasn't asking if he wanted to kiss her.

She was telling him she wanted him to kiss her.

He could have formed a perfectly beautiful and fitting phrase to let her know that kissing her was pretty much all he'd thought about since the night he'd 'rescued' her from the bar, and that the thought of never getting to do it was killing him.

But he didn't.

He just closed the distance between them and pressed his lips to hers, almost urgently.

He felt that she was surprised, but she eventually sank into it, and her lips were perfect and soft, and she tasted a little bit like vanilla, somehow.

Part of him couldn't believe he was actually doing it - kissing her. He'd wanted to for so long, and it was so much better than he'd ever imagined. She nipped his bottom lip and he let out a noise in surprise and appreciation. He should have known she'd be a little more forward and bold than most girls. That was kind of what he liked most about her.

When they parted, he pulled away and took a deep breath, fully intending on saying something. His eyes open and met those beautiful green ones - the ones that were sparkling just a little bit brighter - and he was at a loss.

And then she grabbed the front of his jacket and pulled him in for another kiss, and he really couldn't say he didn't want that exact thing.


	15. Chapter 15

His hands were buried knuckle deep in her hair, and their breathing was laboured, and it wasn't until her hands skimmed beneath his tee shirt at his back that she remembered that they were in a public place.

"Oh, wow," she muttered when she pulled away, resting her forehead against his.

That was definitely, by far, the best kiss she'd ever had. She could feel it down to her toes, and she had never been the kind of girl to even _think_ things like that. She'd also never been the kind of girl who'd fall for someone so fast, or trust someone so fast, or need someone so badly. Lucas was quickly changing all of that.

"Yeah," he sighed. His eyes opened again as she moved away from him, and he saw her raise her fingertips to her lips.

"So, that's a yes, then?" she joked, laugh softly.

"Definitely a yes," he whispered. He leaned over and kissed her again, and he felt her smile against his lips before he moved away, taking her hand in his.

And then she started getting scared. They were kissing. They were roommates, and she was totally falling for him, and now they both felt the same way. It felt easier - safer - when it was just her feeling things. But now that he felt them, too, she was questioning everything. She wanted to be with him, that much she knew. She just didn't really know what all that even meant for them, and she wasn't sure it was all as easy as simple words could make it sound.

"What's wrong?" he asked, sensing that something more was going on with her than just the post-kiss bliss phase that he was still in. Or had been in until he saw that look on her face.

"I'm just...I've wanted this for so long," she said softly.

"Me too." He glanced down at their hands as his thumb ran over her knuckles, and smiled to himself that he was actually still holding her hand.

"Really?" she asked skeptically.

"What? Yeah," he said, furrowing his brow as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "How can you...? I mean, all the signs have been there."

"Like you kissing other girls?" she asked quietly.

"Or you avoiding me?" he countered.

"OK, ouch," she muttered, looking down to her lap instead of at him.

"Sorry," he said quietly, shaking his head. "I just meant..."

"It's OK," she said with a weak laugh. "I guess we both didn't really know how to deal with our feelings."

"Guess not," he agreed, smiling when his eyes met hers. "Kissing's probably the better choice."

"Oh, hell yeah," she murmured, leaning forward and pressing her lips to his once more.

She leaned her head against his shoulder, and he rest his head against hers, and they just sat there for a while together in the darkness. He didn't know what was going to happen next. He just wanted to be with her, though he knew it was a lot more complicated than just that.

But then, he thought, it really wasn't complicated. The only thing different from her and any other girl he'd consider dating, was that she already lived in his house, and it would make spending time together a lot easier. They built their friendship slowly and they knew each other well. He knew that if they just started a relationship, it would work out. He knew that somehow.

"Come on," he said, standing and pulling her up with him.

She took both his hands in hers and wove their fingers together as she stood in front of him, smiling at him before she kissed him again. He wanted to comment on how much they'd actually kissed in the last half hour, but he didn't want to do anything to make her stop kissing him. So he'd keep his comments to himself.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they walked, and she let out a sign of relief before she was hit with a startling thought.

"Oh, God," she said, stopping in her tracks.

"What?" he asked worriedly.

"I have to sleep with you tonight." She watched his eyebrows shoot sky high, and she had to giggle. "No! No. I mean...no. I...wow."

"Peyton," he said with a laugh when he realized what she was saying.

"I just...we are sharing a bed, and we're kissing, and that's dangerous when there's a curious three year old in the house," she explained. "Oh, and your mom."

"Annnnd way to kill the mood," he laughed as they resumed walking. "We'll be fine. Right? I mean, we can...control ourselves."

"You hesitated," she pointed out.

"I did not!"

"You hesitated!" she cried.

"Because...I could barely control myself on the bleachers at a public park," he said, his voice low as he spoke right next to her ear.

"Stop that," she insisted. "No whispering. No roaming hands. No...no kissing the neck."

"The neck, huh?" he asked with a raised brow. She could practically see him making a mental note.

"And I'm wearing pants," she finished, brushing off his comment.

"No! Come on," he pleaded. "You've gotta give me something."

"I most certainly do _not_ need to give you something!" she laughed.

"Alright, alright," he conceded, pressing a kiss to her temple because he could. "I can take the couch."

"No!" she said quickly before her voice went quiet. "No. I...I like sleeping with you."

"Oh, you do, do you?" he asked with a cheeky tone and a crooked smile. She turned her head and shot him a look, and he just shrugged his shoulders. "What? You kind of gave me that one."

"They're going to make fun of us, aren't they?" Peyton asked, almost worriedly.

She got the impression, from the conversations she'd had with Lucas' family members, that they were going to be happy for the two of them. She'd felt everyone gently nudging the two of them together since they entered the town.

"Oh yeah, definitely," Lucas laughed. "But...we could just...not..."

"Yeah," she said, nodding her had. Keeping things quiet sounded kind of perfect until they figured everything out.

But to him, there wasn't much to figure out. He knew what he wanted. He just wanted her, and he wasn't going to let them ignore that, or get home before he could say anything.

"Peyton, I...I want to be with you," he said abruptly as they stepped onto his porch.

"I want to be with you, too, Lucas," she said softly, smiling up at him when he closed his eyes in what she assumed, for some reason, was disbelief. She thought she'd made that pretty clear by the kisses they'd been sharing, and she thought he knew she wasn't the kind of girl who'd just kiss someone and have it mean nothing.

"Good," he whispered.

He leaned down to press his lips to hers. If they had to pretend that nothing had changed, then he was going to kiss her as much as he could while no one else was around. He kind of got the feeling that she didn't really have a problem with that. Her hand feathered through his hair to rest at the back of his neck, and they got so caught up in each other that they didn't notice something that they definitely should have noticed.

They didn't notice that the door had opened and there stood two three year olds with big smiles on their faces.

Lucas looked down to see the two kids looking up at him, and before he could say anything, Lily was talking.

"You _do_ want to kiss her!" she squealed. "I knew!"

"Uh oh," Peyton said softly, glancing up at Lucas.

He was too stunned to say anything, so Peyton reached for Lily and Jamie's hands and led them to the steps to sit down. Lily snuggled onto Peyton's lap, and Jamie tucked into her side as she put her arm around him, and Lucas' look of shock changed to one of complete adoration at the scene before him. He moved to sit next to Jamie, running his hand over the boy's head as he did so.

"OK, guys," Peyton started, "how would you like to be let in on a secret?"

"Yeah!" Jamie said excitedly.

"But it's a _secret_," she stressed. "And secrets have to stay between us."

"That's lying!" Lily said in shock.

"No, no," Lucas insisted, shooting the girls a smile. "It's not lying."

"It's like...It's like..." Peyton tried, searching for the appropriate word.

"It's like a club," Lucas filled in. "And only the four of us can know about it."

"So you can't tell _annnnyone_ about me and Luke," Peyton said, trying to make this 'club' sound like the best idea in the world.

"OK!" Jamie cried.

"OK," Lucas said, doing his best not to laugh at Peyton's quick thinking.

He shot her a glance as they ushered the kids through the door and into the living room.

She didn't really know how they were going to spend the rest of the weekend together, without being _together_, but she knew they'd make it work. Things had kind of worked out so far.

Nathan and Haley were cuddled up on the sofa together when they all stepped back into the room.

"Well, well!" Haley said happily. "Where have you guys been?"

"We made a club!" Jamie announced.

"Uh huh. And it's a secret club where Lukey and Peyton kiss," Lily added.

Peyton let out a laugh while Lucas closed his eyes and cringed. She looked over to Nathan and Haley, and Nathan had his arms crossed in what she knew was smug satisfaction. Peyton could tell Haley was holding back a huge smile. She had to admit that it felt pretty good to know that his family was so obviously on their side.

"Well, _that_ secret lasted 5 minutes," Lucas muttered as Peyton smiled at him.

"Um...wow," Haley drew out as Nathan laughed. He couldn't believe anyone would trust a three year old with that secret. Rookie mistake.

"What did I miss?" Karen asked as she walked into the room from the kitchen.

"Luke and Peyton kissing and trying to get the kids to cover for them," Nathan stated nonchalantly.

"What?!" Karen said with a smile. "When did this happen?"

"Outside! We saw!" Jamie insisted.

"Good work, son," Nathan said, lifting Jamie up onto the couch to sit between his parents.

"So what does this mean?" Haley asked excitedly. "Are you together? Are you just kissing? Are you kissing and haven't talked about getting together? Am I making you totally uncomfortable with the questions?"

"Yes, no, no, and...a little," Lucas answered, smiling at his best friend.

"I still think you're too good for him, but who am I to judge?" Nathan said, shrugging his shoulders.

"I seem to remember telling Haley the same thing about you," Lucas said with a raised eyebrow.

"You may have," Haley laughed. "OK. Girl talk."

Lucas heard Peyton mutter 'uh oh' as Haley stood, walked towards her and grabbed her hand, taking them back into Lucas' bedroom and leaving the rest of them in the living room. Karen sat quietly for a few moments before standing from her place and making her way to the now closed door.

"Mom!"

"Oh, stop it. I'm your mother," she said by way of explanation, leaving Nathan and Lucas alone with the kids in the living room.

Lucas glanced at his brother while Jamie and Lily reached for some toys to play with, and once the two toddlers were occupied, he knew that Nathan wasn't going to keep his opinion to himself.

"She's awesome," Nathan said simply. "Like...the coolest girl you're ever gonna get."

"I know that," Lucas laughed, shaking his head. It was still a bit of a shock to him, too.

"And she's crazy about you," Nathan pointed out seriously, turning to face Lucas. "So be careful with her."

"I think I said that about you and Haley, too," Lucas said with a smile, and Nathan nodded in confirmation. "I _really_ like her, Nate."

"I know," Nathan said, throwing a foam ball at his son, laughing when the little blonde boy scowled at him. "And if it was her out here with me instead of you, I'd tell her to be careful with you, too."

Lucas let out a breathy laugh and nodded his head. He wasn't going to hurt Peyton, and he had a pretty good feeling she wasn't going to hurt him, either.

In Lucas' room, Karen was sitting in the desk chair while Haley and Peyton sat cross-legged on the bed. The two younger women laughed when Karen walked into the room, all of them commenting on girlish gossip and how you never really grow out of it.

"Details," Haley demanded.

"Well...we can probably thank Lily," Peyton said with a chuckle, making the other women laugh. "I asked him if he wanted to kiss me."

"Nice!" Haley said, nodding appreciatively. "And I totally could have told you that he did. Well, does."

"Me too," Karen added.

"Anyway," Peyton laughed, "he didn't really answer. Well, not with words. He just kissed me." Karen and Haley were suppressing huge smiles, and Peyton could only laugh at them. "And it's totally weird to talk to you two about this."

"Whatever. We've heard it all," Haley scoffed, waving off Peyton's statement. The blonde chuckled. Lucas was right; Haley James Scott was one of a kind. "So are you two really together now? I mean, he said you are, but...this can't just be a fling or something."

"No, we're together," Peyton said firmly. "I mean, he said he wants to be, and I _definitely_ want to be. It's...it's not a fling."

"Lucas doesn't fling," Karen insisted. "He just...doesn't."

"I kind of got that impression, too," Peyton said, smiling and avoiding eye contact. God, she was a fool for this guy.

"You're falling in love with him," Haley stated softly, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Peyton looked up and met the other girl's eyes, and all she could do was smile and shrug her shoulders. She couldn't lie, and she didn't really want to.

She was falling in love with him, and the only person who seemed to be in the dark about that was Lucas.

----

When Nathan and Haley finally left after watching an animated movie with the kids, Karen tucked Lily in, with the little girl insisting she wanted Peyton and Lucas to tuck her in, too. Peyton kissed Lily's forehead as Lucas and Karen watched on, and Karen just smiled at her son. She could see, clear as day, that he was falling in love with Peyton, too. Maybe he already was in love with her.

Karen retired to bed shortly after Lily, claiming a hectic day the next day, but they all knew that she really just wanted to give the new 'couple' some privacy. They kind of loved her for that.

As soon as they were inside Lucas' bedroom with the door closed behind them, he reached for her hips and pulled her close, kissing her desperately, like it had killed him to go so long without kissing her. She moaned against his lips as he walked them towards the bed, and she threw her arms around his neck. His hands slid beneath the fabric of her shirt at the small of her back, and everything that he was doing with his lips and tongue and hands had her spinning.

"God, you're good at this," she said breathlessly when he began kissing her neck. She felt him smirk against her skin, and she thought that might have been the _sexiest_ thing she'd ever experienced.

He laid her down with him on top of her, and his fingers danced over her hip bone as he slid his hand beneath her shirt. She pushed his tee shirt up and he broke the kiss so she could pull the cotton over his head. Her eyes darkened when her hands made their way to his back, pressing him closer to her. He pressed his hips to hers a little more, and she let out a sound.

It so wasn't the time or place to do what she _really_ wanted to do, and when his hand crept a little further up her torso, she regrettably did what she knew neither of them wanted.

"Luke," she whispered. But he didn't stop kissing her. In fact, he pressed himself against her a little more, making her whimper and really wish they were somewhere - _anywhere_ - else. "Lucas."

He pulled back and looked into her eyes, and he knew she was right when she spoke her next words.

"We can't do this," she said. Her chest was heaving and her cheeks were flushed, and he really wasn't ready to stop what they were doing. So she took drastic measures. She mentioned his mother. "I won't disrespect your mom like that."

He closed his eyes and pursed his lips as he shook his head, and he rolled off her and onto his back.

"You need to stop bringing up my mom when we're making out," he insisted, turning his head to look at her as she chuckled.

"Sorry, babe," she said softly, rolling onto her side and draping her leg over his.

That term of endearment, and that action, and the way she was pressed against him, were not helping at all.

"I should take the couch," he said as his hand rubbed the flesh where her jeans and shirt didn't quite meet.

"No," she said quickly, pulling herself a little closer to him and letting her fingers dig into his side.

He wasn't going anywhere.

"No pants," he bargained. His hand moved so it was resting over the pocket of her jeans, and he smiled innocently when she pulled away and looked at him.

"Watch the hands, mister," she warned with a raised brow.

"No pants," he repeated, waiting for confirmation. She rolled her eyes, but nodded, and he smiled like a little boy.

She stood from the bed and reached for his tee shirt where she'd dropped it on the floor, and he watched with a smirk as she pulled off her top and stepped out of her jeans. She pulled on his shirt and unhooked her bra, pulling it out the sleeve as he groaned at how she was teasing him.

He got up once she'd laid down again, and let his jeans pool at his ankles before stepping out of them and back into bed with her. As soon as he was laying next to her again, she gravitated towards him, and he rolled onto his side so they were facing one another. His hand fell to her waist once more, then he moved it to her bottom and pulled her hips flush to his. He kissed her before she could comment, and she draped her arm over his side.

"Stop that," she demanded.

"Kissing you?" he asked, brushing his nose against hers. "No."

"I'm serious," she stated. "Watch the hands."

"I could just not touch you at all," he suggested.

"Could you?" she asked with a laugh.

"No," he admitted. "And you don't want me to, either."

He was right, and they both knew it, so she kissed him gently.

"Pretty confident, Lukey," she teased. He groaned and closed his eyes.

"Only Lily's allowed to call me that," he insisted.

"So what can I call you?"

"Hmm," he said, narrowing his eyes as he contemplated it.

"How about...my boyfriend?" she asked timidly. She knew he approved when he kissed her and pulled her closer still.

"I can't wait to get you back to our place," he admitted in a low voice.

"Stop that," she said again with a soft laugh. "Seriously. You can't...use that tone."

"What _tone_?" he asked as he smirked. She really was letting him in on a lot of the things she clearly liked, just by telling him what she didn't want him to do.

"That soft, deep one," she clarified. "You use the same one when you read out loud."

"Is that right?" he asked.

"Yes," she confirmed. "And it's..."

"What?"

"It's really, _really_ sexy," she said seductively.

"Hmm...maybe I should use it when I need to get my way," he said, brushing his lips softly against hers.

"Luke," she whimpered. "You're really making this difficult."

"You aren't seeing what I'm seeing," he said with a smirk. "You don't _know_ difficult, Blondie."

She took a deep breath and shivered when his hand ran down her side, and he let out a soft laugh. How had he had no idea she felt the way she did? Thinking back on it now, it was crystal clear that the girl had feelings for him for a while. All the little signs were there. The flirtation and the little comments. The way she pulled away from him when he seemed to get too close. It all added up now, and he hated himself for not realizing it sooner.

"Maybe we should just get some sleep," she said, laughing at their inability to keep their hands - and apparently lips - off each other.

"Maybe," he said, reaching up to brush the hair from her face.

"You're so..."

"What?" he asked when her voice trailed.

"You're the perfect mix," she said.

"Of what?"

"I don't want to tell you, or you'll kiss me again, and we'll never get to sleep," she said, smiling when he laughed.

"If it makes any difference, I would have kissed you again anyway," he told her. "Come on. Tell me."

"You're sweet and nice, but so, so _sexy_," she said softly. "And you're gentle, but apparently you know how to throw down."

"Throw down?" he laughed.

"Yes," she said firmly. "Brooke and I have a theory. It's...silly, but...it makes sense to us."

"Well, what's the theory?" he asked in that low voice she told him not to use.

"It's...OK," she said, pulling away from him and propping herself up on her elbow. "No girl wants a guy who's all tender and stuff _all_ the time. We want...we all want a guy who can...Who can take charge and...you know...just..._grab_ you every once in a while. And..."

"Throw down," he finished knowingly. "Gotcha."

If you asked him, he wasn't the one making anything difficult at all. She was so damn irresistible, and it was almost impossible for him to lay there with her and not kiss her and touch her exactly like he wanted to.

He leaned over and pushed her back so she was laying down again and he was resting on top of her, and she took an uneven breath and closed her eyes. He kissed her, wasting no time pressing his tongue against hers and letting his hand tangle in her hair.

"Exactly," she said breathlessly once they'd parted. "Throw down."

He took a deep breath because he had to. God, this girl was going to be the death of him.

"We really need to go to sleep," he sighed, making her laugh as he rolled back onto his side of the bed.

She said goodnight to him and closed her eyes, and he stared at her for a few moments through the darkness, wondering how in only a few short hours, he seemed to have gotten everything he wanted.


	16. Chapter 16

"You know Jake asked me about you?" Lucas said the next morning as they lay in bed together.

"Oh, God," Peyton groaned. "What'd he say? He's like a big brother."

"He just said that you're a vixen and to be careful," he said nonchalantly, laughing when her jaw dropped and her eyes went wide.

"He is so dead," she insisted, turning over and reaching for her phone on the night stand.

"Come on, I was kidding," he said with a chuckle, pulling her closer to him and taking her phone from her hands. "He said that you're usually kind of...closed off with your emotions and you don't open up like you have with me."

"Oh," she said with a little smile. "I guess that's not so bad."

"He did tell me to be careful, though."

She put on a playful pout and rolled onto her side so her back was to him. All he could think was how perfect she was. Her hair was splayed on his pillow, and he could see the distinct curve of her waist as she lay next to him, and he was still a little amazed that they'd actually gotten together.

She was trying to ignore him and pretend she was annoyed, but he placed his hand on her hip and nuzzled against her neck, placing kisses on her skin until she let out an appreciative sound.

"You're beautiful," he murmured into her ear.

She turned so she was facing him and wrapped her arm around his neck, pulling his mouth to hers for a lazy kiss.

And then there was a little knock at the door.

Lucas stifled a groan and it came out as just a sigh, and Peyton kissed him quickly before moving away from him a little more.

"Come in," Lucas called.

The door opened just a sliver, and Lily's little head poked through.

"What are _you_ doing, crazy girl?" Lucas asked with a chuckle.

"Mommy made me knock," she explained as she pushed the door open a little more and walked into the room. Lucas sat up and lifted her onto the bed while she elaborated. "She said you might be playing games so I had to wait."

Peyton started laughing loudly, and Lucas just hung his head before raising an eyebrow at her.

"What kind of games?" Lily asked innocently

Lucas turned white as a sheet and Peyton managed to stop herself from laughing. She mouthed _'I'm sorry'_ and he just shook his head.

"Very, _very_ fun ones," Peyton said in a low voice, locking eyes with Lucas. She winked when he took a deep breath.

"OK," Lily said, satisfied with that response.

She clambered off the bed and out into the hallway with Lucas squinting at Peyton while she giggled.

"Not funny," he said as he stood.

"Oh, it _so_ is," she insisted. "Now get out so I can get dressed."

"No," he pouted.

"I'm not changing in front of you!" she said in a hushed whisper. "Get out."

"Pretty demanding considering this is _my_ room," he stated.

"Well, I thought you were a gentleman," she teased, standing and putting a hand on her hip.

She watched as his eyes raked over her, standing there in just his tee shirt. She tilted her head and he just smirked at her and grabbed clean clothes before heading to the bathroom to change.

Peyton pulled on her dark jeans and green silk top, and pulled her hair up into a messy curly ponytail. And as soon as she stepped out into the hallway, she saw Lucas look her up and down again. She sent him a smile as she entered the kitchen and he walked back to his bedroom.

She noticed Lily happily eating a bowl of Cheerios at the table, swinging her feet as she sat on the chair, and Peyton ruffled the girl's hair on the way by. She walked over and stood next to Karen at the coffee maker while the older woman poured three cups for the 'adults'.

"Just for the record," Peyton said with a smirk, "there were no games played."

Karen just smiled and they both laughed.

"I'm sorry," the brunette insisted. "I didn't want her just walking in, and I didn't know what else to say."

"It's fine," Peyton said with a chuckle. "I just...wanted you to know that...I mean, I wouldn't..."

"Thank you," Karen said, smiling as she placed her hand on Peyton's forearm. They shared a smile and each took sips of their coffees.

"I am so outnumbered here," Lucas realized when he stepped into the kitchen. "I need Nathan and Jamie over here."

"But, with Nathan and Jamie, don't you get Haley, too?" Peyton pointed out.

"And Deb," Karen added.

Lucas groaned while the girls laughed, and he kissed Lily's cheek, then his mom's, then Peyton's. He realized there were certainly worse women he could be around.

"I suppose you three aren't too bad," he mused, sitting at the table with the three of them.

"Wow," Peyton said with a raised brow. "You're too kind. _Really_ flattering."

Karen just watched on with a smile on her face as Lucas took Peyton's hand in his. She didn't want to be smug about it - she wasn't that kind of woman - but the words, 'I told you so', were right there on the tip of her tongue. She'd told Lucas the first time she met Peyton that she was a great girl. She was just happy that he'd figured it out, too.

----

Nathan, Haley, Jamie and Deb arrived just after lunch to spend the day with the 'family' and to have Thanksgiving dinner together.

Deb, who previously hadn't met Peyton, immediately questioned the girl on everything everyone else already knew. She, of course, had a different way of saying things. Peyton sent Lucas a pleading glance at one point, and he swooped in, saying that Nathan and Haley were going to surrender Jamie to his grandmother and take a walk, and they'd asked Peyton and Lucas to go with them.

The had done nothing of the sort, but they agreed to go along with it anyway.

Once they were all outside, Nathan holding Haley's hand, and Lucas holding Peyton's, the blonde girl finally felt like she could breathe again.

"She's..."

"Insane?" Nathan laughed. "Yes."

"I wasn't going to say insane," Peyton insisted with a chuckle. "She's just a little...full on."

"Very diplomatic response," Haley said with a smile. "But she's insane. We love her, though."

"She's harmless," Lucas said. "I mean, _now_ she is..."

They all shared a laugh over that, since Deb hadn't been shy with Peyton about her stint in rehab and a couple of her past choices.

Peyton wrapped her arm around Lucas' waist and smiled at him when he looked over at her.

"So," Nathan said with a devilish smirk once they'd arrived at the River Court, "who's bed are you going to sleep in at your house?"

"Mine."

"Hers."

They both spoke at the same time, and they all laughed again as they took spots on the bleachers.

"Her bed is way more comfortable than mine," Lucas explained.

"Wait, you've been in her bed?!" Haley cried, stopping in her tracks.

"What? No!" Lucas assured her. "I have been _on_ her bed. Without her. _Unfortunately_."

"Lucas!" Peyton shouted.

"Nice," Nathan chuckled.

"What?" Lucas asked when Peyton swatted his arm. "If you weren't boycotting men..."

"If you weren't hooking up with slutty literary girls," she countered.

"OK, whoa," Haley said, holding up her hands. "One insane notion at a time, please."

"Yeah, Lucas. Why don't we tell the real story now?" Peyton challenged, raising an eyebrow.

"Sure," he said, kissing her forehead quickly. "You see, after her last breakup, Peyton decided to give up men."

"I _knew_ we should have had a female roommate in college," Nathan said, making Lucas laugh at how very similar those words to the ones he'd spoken when Peyton told him of her plan. Peyton and Haley just shared a look and shook their heads.

"And then there was only one man that I was thinking about, and I came home one day and he was kissing some girl on the sofa," Peyton finished, making Lucas wince and hang his head.

"I only..." Lucas started before he remembered that they weren't alone. Then he realized that it didn't matter who they were with, he just wanted Peyton to know the truth. "I only asked her out because I didn't think you had feelings for me."

"Oh, sure, Romeo has to go and make his proclamations in front of people," Nathan muttered, loud enough for only Haley to hear.

"And I was only giving up men until the right one came along," Peyton said, smiling sweetly just before she kissed Lucas.

"Gag," Nathan scoffed. Haley hit him on the arm. "What? They've been a couple for like, 12 hours, and they're already out-cheesing us."

"And that's almost impossible," Lucas said, glancing at his brother.

The four of them sat and talked a little more, and it was no surprise when Lucas and Haley started one conversation, and Nathan and Peyton started another. Lucas loved that Peyton obviously got along with his brother so well, and Peyton adored that Lucas looked at Haley like a little sister.

They walked back to the house after a while, and they all sat down to an incredible Thanksgiving dinner. It was the best one Peyton had experienced in ages. She loved the laughter and the comedy of errors, and the way the kids tossed peas at each other and drown their food in gravy. Lucas placed his hand on her thigh beneath the table as they waited for their dessert, and all she wanted was to be alone with him at their house, with no distractions. She adored his family, it was no secret, but he was making it far too easy for her temperature to spike and her heart to race.

The women sipped wine, and Nathan nursed a beer after the kids went to play in Lily's room and all the adults were left in the living room.

Karen stepped into the room after a few moments and looked to her son with a look he couldn't read.

"What?" he asked uneasily.

"There's supposed to be a storm tomorrow," she informed him. "Maybe you should drive back tonight."

"What? I didn't hear anything about that," he said, shaking his head and looking around the room.

Karen shot them all looks while Lucas glanced at Peyton, and the rest of them realized that it was a set up and that they should play along.

"Yeah," Nathan said. "We've gotta check our flight status in the morning. We're leaving early, so it shouldn't be a problem, but..."

"It's probably best if you two just head out now and beat it. You know? Just to be safe," Haley added.

"Might not be a bad idea," Lucas said, shrugging his shoulder and looking at Peyton.

"I just don't want to you be stuck here," Karen said, doing her best not to glare at Nathan, who was shaking his head at her meddling.

"It's not exactly been torture," Peyton said with a laugh. "But...I hate storms."

They all chuckled and Lucas stood from his place and announced that he was going to go pack his things. Peyton smiled as she got up to follow him, and they were through the door to his bedroom and had it closed behind them before Haley and Deb started whispering to Karen, lauding her for the scheme.

"How am I completely packed before you?" Peyton asked with a smirk, laying back on the bed and watching as he gathered his things.

"Because I don't just roll things into a ball and drop them into my bag?" he suggested, laughing when her jaw dropped.

"Are you sure you're OK to drive?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, waving off her concern. "I didn't have anything to drink, and it's not that late."

"Good," she said softly.

"Good?" he asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah," she said quickly. "You know, since it's a bit of a drive and stuff."

"Oh." He moved to lay down with her and pushed her back onto the bed, resting a little of his weight on her. "I thought you just couldn't wait to be alone with me."

She let out a little moan when certain parts of him pressed against certain parts of her, and he smirked against her lips when he kissed her.

"I really do hate storms," she said, shifting beneath him a little to tease him the way he was teasing her.

"Well...you'll be with me," he reassured her. She could only smile in response, and he moved off her to throw the last of his things in his bag.

"I guess it's a good thing that we live in the same house, then. It'll be _so_ nice to know you're just right across the hall," she said teasingly.

"Oh, you must have had _a lot _of wine if you think I'm sleeping anywhere but with you tonight, Blondie," he insisted, making her laugh. She got on her knees on the edge of the bed and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to his.

"I know," she whispered, and he took a deep breath.

Oh, this was going to be one long drive.

They said their goodbyes to his family, with Peyton hugging everyone and kissing the kids' foreheads. She thanked Karen for the hospitality and generosity, and Karen extended an invitation for Christmas that they all knew the blonde would be accepting. Peyton thanked Nathan - very quietly - for the gentle encouragement, and she and Haley exchanged numbers, though they certainly could have each just talked to Lucas.

As soon as they were in the car and driving down the street, Lucas took Peyton's hand in his. He knew she was still smiling over spending the weekend with his family, and all the kind things they'd said about her before they left. But he also knew that they would both always remember that Thanksgiving for another reason entirely.

When they got onto the highway, she changed the radio station to the 'oldies' station, and they listened to Motown and Stax tunes as they drove through the dark.

About halfway through the drive, his hand fell to her thigh, well above where it had ever been before, and his fingertips fell to the inside near the seam of her jeans.

"You either need to stop that, or start driving a hell of a lot faster," she told him. He could only laugh. If he could get to their house any quicker, he certainly would be.

"Trust me, if I knew where the speed traps were, I'd be breaking all kinds of laws," he said, chuckling when she took his hand in hers and moved it to sit just above her knee.

They were quiet again, until about 10 minutes later when they saw a highway patrol car nestled on a U-turn route. They both laughed, and Peyton leaned a little closer to Lucas, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Don't even _think_ of going to sleep," he warned, making her laugh again.

Truthfully, the longer they drove, the more nervous she got. They both knew what was going to happen when they got to their house, and they both wanted it. She wanted it, definitely she did. She was just anxious. She hadn't been with anyone since Julian - despite Brooke's constant encouragement to 'find a man'. She knew she really didn't have anything to worry about with Lucas. She knew he'd treat her right and do whatever she wanted, but she was still just nervous.

Lucas noticed Peyton take a deep breath, and he kissed the top of her head as they pulled into the town and he started towards their house. Peyton pretended to be asleep when they turned onto their street, and she giggled when Lucas let out a heavy sigh of disappointment.

"You're mean," he pouted as he pulled into the driveway. He could only shake his head when she shrugged her shoulder and turned away from him to step out of the car.

"God, it feels like forever since we were even here!" she mused with a smile, meeting him at the back of the car.

"It's only been three days," he laughed, and she rolled her eyes. "Go ahead in. I'll bring the bags."

As soon as she stepped through the door, her heart started to race, and she had no idea why she was getting so worked up over it. It was just sex. Right? No. It was sex with Lucas, who she was pretty sure she loved. It was their first time, and it somehow felt like her first time. The nerves were akin to how she'd felt as a 17 year old with her first real boyfriend.

But thoughts of other men were not helping in the least, and she didn't even hear Lucas come into the house. She jumped when he put his hands on her hips from behind, and when she spun around to face him, he looked at her in confusion.

And then she kissed him. Just like ripping off a band-aid, right?

She took his face in her hands and pressed her lips to his, and it took him a moment, but he was kissing her back. He started walking her backwards towards the stairs, and he moaned in protest when she pulled away and turned around to rush up the stairs.

"Wait!" she shouted as he followed her.

"What?"

"Wait," she requested, looking back at him. "I need...just give me one minute."

"60 seconds," he said seriously. "That's all you're getting."

She smiled at him and bit her bottom lip, and he had to stifle a groan. 60 seconds were going to be torture.

Peyton rushed into her room and closed the door just as Lucas got to the top of the stairs. She looked around to make sure there were no dirty clothes laying around or clutter on the floor. She fluffed her pillows and lit a couple candles, but she couldn't think of the right music to play, so she didn't put on anything.

"You're at 55," Lucas called through the door. He could only smile when he heard her laugh.

"Come in," she said.

And what she realized when he walked through the door and closed it behind him, was that it didn't matter what her room looked like, because he was only looking at her.

He walked straight towards her as he smiled, and she reached for the front of his shirt. He just looked into her eyes, and all he could think was that he was the luckiest guy in the world, to be able to stand alone with her in her room. She pulled him a little closer, and his hands fell to her hips.

"You're so...God, Peyton," he said softly. He kissed her gently before resting his forehead against hers, and she kissed him again as her hands went to work on the buttons of his shirt.

He hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her as close as he could, and he buried his free hand in her hair as he deepened the kiss. His fingertips moved along the top of her jeans from her back to her stomach, and she let out a little noise when he undid her button and pulled down the zipper.

He lay her down on the bed just as she slid his shirt off his shoulders, and he smiled when she took a deep breath. She'd seen him shirtless so many times before, but this was so much different. He was laying on top of her, and he was kissing her, and her pants were undone.

This was definitely different.

He moved his hand beneath the fabric of her top, and she could feel his hand trembling against her skin. He stilled his palm at the curve of her waist, and he stopped kissing her.

"What?" she asked breathlessly.

"Nothing," he lied. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, and he knew there was no way he could keep his feelings to himself. "I'm totally nervous right now."

"Me too," she said, laughing softly.

"I'm just...I feel like I'm hooking up with the hot, untouchable cheerleader," he said with a smile, and she just shook her head.

"The thing is?" she said seductively. "I'm definitely not untouchable."

He took a sharp breath and she swore she saw his eyes darken another shade.

"This is...this is a big deal for me," he said quietly. "For us."

"I know," she said, smiling and leaning up to kiss him gently. "But if you don't touch me soon, I might have to kick you out."

He could only let out a laugh and press his forehead to hers. He felt her hands trail down his back to rest just above the waistband of his jeans, and when her eyes fluttered open again, he saw a shade of emerald he'd never really seen before.

"I am so, so crazy about you," he admitted needlessly.

But judging by the way she kissed him after he'd said the words, he assumed she was definitely OK with hearing them. She sat up and pulled her shirt over her head, and he took another deep breath when her hands moved to his belt.

"I'll be gentle," she whispered, making him laugh.

It was all a blur after that. Their clothes were discarded, and he'd reluctantly had to run across the hall, since she didn't have any condoms in her room, and she giggled when his face fell when he returned and he noticed she'd covered herself up. She told him it was just too cold without him there, and he promised he wouldn't leave again, right before he kissed her.

She fell asleep in his arms, and he stayed awake for a while, just listening to her breathe and running his hand up and down her arm. He finally fell asleep, but he was woken not long after when she started kissing his neck and bare shoulders. And if you asked him, that was pretty much the best wake up call he'd ever gotten, no matter what time of night it was.

They woke just before noon the next day to sunny skies and birds chirping.

There was no storm.


	17. Chapter 17

"Luke, you have to go to your room at some point," Peyton said with a laugh when he draped his arm over her stomach, refusing to get out of bed.

"No," he said gruffly. He pulled her a little closer, and she could feel his breath on her neck, and she started thinking that maybe he didn't have to go anywhere after all. And maybe she didn't either.

"What are we going to do today?" she asked, letting her hand rest atop his and weaving their fingers together.

"You need to ask?" he said, dropping kisses along her bare shoulder.

"Lucas, honey, this is all very..." She took a sharp breath when he explored the spot on her neck he'd discovered the night before. "This is very nice, but I am starving."

"You go get food," he said, smirking when she raised an eyebrow. "I'll stay here and keep the bed nice and warm."

"I'm starting to think you're just with me for this bed!" she said, laughing when he snuggled deeper beneath the covers.

"And your hot body," he told her.

"You jackass!" she shouted as he laughed.

She jumped out of bed and pulled his shirt over her shoulders, and that action alone had him close to begging her to stay. As he watched her pull her messy hair up into a knot, it hit him hard that he was absolutely in love with her. No doubt in his mind, he adored every single thing about her.

But it was too soon for that, wasn't it? They'd been together only a couple days, and she'd probably freak out if he told her how he was feeling. But then he thought back on the entire time he'd known her, and he realized that they'd never really been 'nothing'. Sure, they may have been insistent that they were just friends, but they both had to have known there was something deeper there, even when they hadn't wanted to see it.

"What?" she asked when she noticed him staring.

"You really are hot," he said with a boyish grin.

He sat up and the sheets fell to his waist, and the sight of him, shirtless in her bed, had her thinking that maybe she wasn't so starving after all.

And she realized that she already felt more for Lucas than she ever felt for Julian, and that thought didn't scare her like maybe it should have. In fact, it just made her smile.

"You want anything while I'm down there? Power Bar? Protein shake? Something to give you some more energy?"

He stood from the bed in just his boxers and crossed the room to wrap his arms around her waist.

"Are you implying that I need it?" he growled.

"I was only implying it so you'd get out of my bed," she teased, pulling away from him and laughing as she rushed out of the room.

Yes. He definitely loved her.

----

"Know what's funny?" she asked.

It was late in the afternoon, and she was once again wearing his shirt - though he certainly wouldn't complain. She was sitting in front of her easel and sketching a portrait of his little sister for one of her classes as he lay on her bed in just his boxers, reading a book she told him was one of her favourites.

And it was still really hard to believe they hadn't been a couple for ages.

"Hmm?" he asked absently, turning the page with his right hand.

"Your entire family totally set us up just so you could get laid," she said, laughing hysterically at the disgusted look on his face.

"Seriously, Peyton!" he groaned. "Don't...don't."

"Aww," she teased, tilting her head at him as he scowled at her. "Oh come on! If it were anyone else, you'd totally be laughing."

"You're mean," he said, focusing his eyes on his book again.

She stood from her place and moved to the bed, settling herself on his thighs with her knees on either side of him. And she thought he looked really, really cute laying there trying to ignore the way her hands caressed his hips.

"Maybe I should send them a thank you card," she murmured as she took the book from his hands and set it on the bedside table.

"Is that your way of saying I'm good in bed?" he asked with a smirk, pulling her towards him a little bit more.

"Well," she said with a shrug, "you're not bad."

If she was being honest, he was the best she'd ever had. She just didn't want that going to his head. And the way his eyes darkened and the deep breath he took told her that him trying to prove himself would be really fun, too.

"Not bad?" he asked incredulously, flipping them over so she was on her back.

"Show me what you got," she purred.

----

Peyton woke up the next morning to an empty bed, and though it had only been a few days of waking up with Lucas, she didn't like it one bit when she realized he wasn't there.

She quickly glanced around the room, then checked the clock, realizing that she had to be at her class in an hour and a half. The little world inside her bedroom that she and Lucas had created wasn't apparently the only world they could live in.

She stood from the bed and pulled her robe over her shoulders, tied her hair back with an elastic, and started towards the stairs.

She stepped into the kitchen to see him sitting at the table, fully dressed, with the newspaper in his hands and a cup of coffee in front of him. There were bagels toasted with her favourite jams on the table, and a grapefruit cut in half and waiting for her next to the cup of coffee he'd poured for her.

"Seriously?" she asked, running her hands along his shoulders as she walked past him. "We should have started dating ages ago. I mean, if I'd known it came with free continental breakfast..."

"Yeah, because I never did anything for you before," he scoffed. He leaned over and kissed her temple before speaking softly. "Good morning."

"'Morning," she murmured. She took a sip of coffee while he went back to his paper, and she inwardly wondered how in the hell it was all so natural with them. "You have your study group tonight?"

"No. I switched groups," he said from behind newsprint.

"Why?" she asked confusedly. From what she knew, he was in the best study group he could find; at least that was what he'd told her.

"Just...needed a change," he said vaguely, smiling at her as he folded the paper and set it on the table next to him.

"Knowing when you're lying is going to come in really handy for me," she said, raising her eyebrow as she challenged him to tell her the truth.

"Well...Katie was in the other one," he said shamefully. "And...yeah."

"Oh," she said softly, after swallowing a bite of her bagel. "Water under the bridge, right?"

"Yeah," he said with a smile. She leaned over to kiss him gently, and she smiled over finally being able to do that very thing. "OK. I've gotta run. I'll see you later?"

"Yeah," she said as he kissed the top of her head. "Have a good day."

"You too," he insisted, squeezing her shoulder before leaving the kitchen.

She heard the front door close, and she let out a happy little squeal that anyone who knew her would definitely make fun of her for.

And then she muttered a curse when she realized that she hadn't yet called Brooke and told her anything that happened on her weekend with Lucas in Tree Hill. She hadn't even checked her phone in two days, and surely, the brunette had left scathing voicemails asking for updates and wondering why Peyton wasn't calling her back.

So after she got dressed in her simple jeans and a sweater, and grabbed her books, she decided to walk to school since she had plenty of time, and she'd talk to Brooke along the way.

"Well, well!" Brooke answered. "I thought you were being held captive in Tree Ridge!"

"It's _Tree Hill_," Peyton laughed. "And no. We got back late Sunday."

"We!? You're a we now!?" Brooke asked excitedly.

"Well...I would have said 'we' even if Lucas and I weren't a couple now, but..."

"Shut up!" Brooke squealed. "_Shut up_!! Tell me everything!"

"Do you want me to shut up, or to tell you everything?" Peyton said, teasingly.

"You know what I mean, you bitch! Start talking!" Brooke demanded.

Peyton told the entire story, from her conversations with Nathan and Karen about Lucas, to him taking her to Wilmington for the day, to Lily's final push to get them together. Brooke said that Lily sounded like a 'Mini Miss Davis', and Peyton just laughed at the thought. She explained how Karen kicked she and Lucas out of the house under false pretenses and how the two of them had spent almost their entire day prior in bed together.

And Brooke couldn't contain her girlish excitement.

"You two are so getting married someday!" Brooke proclaimed. "And it's all because of my pajama tip!"

And instead of wanting to run the opposite direction, Peyton's heart swelled in her chest.

She had it bad.

"OK, listen, I have to go," she said with a laugh as she walked up to the school.

And then she saw something that made her freeze in her tracks.

"Can you not blow off your class so we can gossip more?" Brooke whined.

"No. I...I really...gotta go," Peyton stuttered as she took in the sight not 50 feet from her. "I'll talk to you later."

She hung up before Brooke could respond, and dropped her phone into her bag as she stalked towards the man who was inexplicably standing outside her school.

"Julian? What the hell are _you_ doing here?" she seethed, placing a hand on her hip.

"Peyton," he said with a smile, obviously choosing not to see the anger she wasn't hiding. "I went to your apartment."

"I don't live there anymore," she spat out.

"Yeah, I realized that when I knocked on the door and a 45-year-old man in Nascar boxer shorts opened the door," he said, grinning at her.

"What do you want?" she asked again, disregarding the charm that no doubt would have worked on her, once upon a time.

"We just didn't really get to talk the other day, and...I don't know," he said with a shrug. "I miss you, Peyton."

"Yeah," she said with a bitter laugh. "I heard you the first time, and you know what? I _still_ don't care."

"Can we just have a conversation? I mean, you owe me at least that."

Her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped slightly. She sure as _hell_ didn't owe him anything.

"No, I don't," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "_You_ cheated on _me_, remember? And it's been like, a year, and you haven't ever, not once, apologized."

"I'm sor..."

"I don't even care," she interrupted, laughing bitterly and shaking her head. "I really, _really_ don't care."

She started to walk away, and she should have known he'd try to follow her, but she still spun around to glare at him anyway.

"Well...where do you live now?" he asked. Something in his voice told her that he was actually just curious about her life.

She could have used that interest when they were actually together.

"With Lucas," she stated confidently.

Maybe it made her a bitch to want to smile at the hurt expression that information put on his face, but she couldn't find it in her to care. At least _she_ waited until they had stopped dating to move on.

"Really?" he asked in shock. "Why?"

"Because I'm in love with him."

The words flowed out of her mouth before she could stop them.

But they weren't a lie.

She did love Lucas, and she'd just admitted that fact to her ex-boyfriend before she admitted them to her current one. No matter, it felt damn good to have realized it.

Sure, she could have told Julian the whole story about how she and Lucas came to live together, and how they started dating, and that they still technically had separate bedrooms - though it was pretty much already a given that they would sleep together in one or the other.

But Julian didn't deserve to hear any of it.

"I'm in love with him," she repeated with a smile, looking away from Julian. "I have to go!"

She turned on her heel and started walking away from him and into the building, and the smile only grew on her face as she did so. She heard him call her name, and each time she ignored him, she felt a smug satisfaction.

She was in love with someone new, and if that someone new wasn't in class at that moment, she would have tracked him down and told him right there on campus.

She somehow made it through her two classes that day, smiling and so happy that a few of her classmates asked who the guy was. She could only laugh and tell them that it was the guy in her drawing. The girls didn't blame her at all - in fact, they offered congratulations - and the guys just rolled their eyes at how girly she was really being.

It had started to rain part-way through the day, and she didn't have an umbrella with her, but she didn't care. She walked the entire distance home in the rain, knowing that Lucas would already be there.

And she really believed he was the best thing to come home to.

She walked up the steps and into the house, and it was eerily quiet. She figured he was in his room studying, so she kicked off her shoes, shed her wet jacket, and headed for the stairs. She was surprised when she peered into his bedroom and he wasn't there.

She walked into her own room to see him laying atop the covers on her bed, a book at his side as he slept. His hair was messy and his shirt was wrinkled. He had one arm behind his head, and she could see the contour of the muscle on his arm. That, coupled with the stubble on his jaw, had her realizing that he was a _man_. He was her man. She took a deep breath at how damn sexy he was, and briefly wondered if he'd ever leave her bed. She found herself hoping he wouldn't.

Yup. Love.

She stepped out of her wet jeans and pulled her sweater over her head, leaving her in just a tank top and her underwear. She smiled as she climbed onto his lap, leaned down, and kissed him.

He moaned from low in his throat, and his hands found her thighs as he woke up.

"OK...wow..." he mumbled once they'd parted. "What's...?"

"I love you," she said softly, the smile still on her face. His expression was unreadable. "I know it's...crazy, and _way_ too soon. But, I love you, Lucas. And you don't have to say it back. Really, you don't. I just wanted you to know. I...I love you."

He gradually started to smile the more she rambled on about loving him.

God, the girl was perfect.

He could tell she was about to say more, but he cut her off by leaning up and pressing his lips to hers, and it was her turn to moan in surprise.

"I love you," he said softly, caressing her cheek with the palm of his hand. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, and the sweet little smile she gave him was melting his heart. "I love you, too."

She leaned forward again and kissed him quickly, and relished in the way his thumb moved in circles on her bare thigh.

"Please tell me you've never napped in here before," she said teasingly. "Because I don't need you to turn out to be a total creeper."

"No," he laughed. "This is the first time." She kinked her brow and looked at him as though she didn't believe him. "I promise!"

"Good," she said, laying down beside him and resting her head against his shoulder.

"You wanna nap with me?" he asked. "I'm exhausted."

"Yeah," she whispered. "Maybe we should start sleeping at night."

"Uh uhn," he said, kissing her hair as his hand trailed up and down her arm. "I think our routine is pretty good as is."

They lay there together in silence for a while, but Peyton couldn't get to sleep. She felt a peace within herself that she'd never really felt before. She'd felt it in phases, or in certain aspects of her life. She'd find peace in art when music wasn't enough, and vice versa. She'd found peace in her friendship with Brooke when everything with Julian went bad. She found peace with Jenny when they were in high school and she was craving stability and family.

But with Lucas, she felt it all over. Every aspect of her life, he'd brought a calm to. Her art, her (and his) family, her home.

She found herself wondering if just maybe that's what true love felt like.

"What?" he asked after a while. She hadn't even known he was still awake.

"Nothing," she said, sighing deeply and holding him a little tighter.

"Lie."

"I'm just really happy right now," she said, smiling when he let out a quick breath and kissed the top of her head.

"Good," he said. "Me too."

They went quiet again, and she felt him drifting off, but she still couldn't sleep, so she decided she wouldn't let him either.

"Luke, I'm bored," she whined jokingly.

"Hmph," he grumbled. "Sleep."

"Luke," she drawled out, running her hand along his stomach just above the top of his jeans. She heard him inhale sharply, then let out a little noise. "Entertain me."

"Sleep is entertaining," he mumbled, failing in his attempt to ignore what she was doing to him and how he was making her feel. "Dream about your new boyfriend."

"I shouldn't have to dream about him when he's in my bed," she purred, undoing the button of his jeans.

"Maybe the dream would be better than the real thing," he said, and she saw him smirk, though his eyes were closed.

"Not a chance," she whispered, nipping at his earlobe.

"Don't you just want to...cuddle or something?" he asked, finally opening his eyes.

"Am I dating a girl?" she inquired with a laugh. "This is the blissed out, sex and making out part of the relationship."

"Mmm."

"Soon enough, it'll be white cotton panties and you sitting on the couch with your hand down your pants," she said, and he could only shake his head.

"Kind of killing the mood, babe," he pointed out.

"Are you really turning me down right now?" she asked incredulously, pulling away from him. She sat up and crossed her arms over her chest as she looked down at him.

"You're sexy when you're mad," he growled.

"No way!" she cried, standing from the bed and walking to the middle of the room. "You...no. You can't just turn on the charm like that after being a...meanie."

"Meanie?" he asked, stifling a laugh. "That's the best you could come up with?"

"No, but I don't want to emasculate you too much," she said, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't want to know what you were really going to say," he said, closing his eyes again.

"I can't believe you right now!" she said with a laugh. "Seriously. This is ridiculous."

"I just like hearing you beg for it," he said boyishly, eyes still closed as the smirk spread on his lips.

"Jackass," she seethed. "I'm a girl. I've never had to beg before."

"I don't doubt it," he said, looking over at her. She was definitely irresistible, standing there in just her underwear and little tank top. The scowl on her face and the way her weight was rested on one hip was only adding to the attraction.

She saw the way his eyes darkened and how he was looking her up and down, and if he was going to torture her, she'd torture him right back.

Admittedly, her tactic was far more serious than his, and not at all playful.

"Julian was at school today waiting for me."

"What?!" he almost shouted. "What the...?"

"He wanted to talk," she explained.

"Bullshit," Lucas muttered, sitting up in the bed. "He wants you back, Peyton."

And jealous Lucas might just be her favourite Lucas yet.

"I'm sure I wouldn't have to beg him," she said, raising an eyebrow.

"_Not_ funny," he warned seriously. "Tell me what happened."

"He said he misses me," she explained, finally getting serious, since his tone suggested she should.

"What the hell is _with_ that guy!?" Lucas asked angrily. "You have a boyfriend!"

"Yes," she said, walking back to him and placing her hands on his shoulders. "And I told him that I live with my boyfriend, and that I'm in love with my boyfriend. And then I walked away, because I have nothing more to say to him."

"He's lucky I wasn't with you this time," Lucas muttered, and she shook her head. "Seriously, I've punched guys over less."

"You look sexy when you're mad," she said, running her hands through his hair as his gripped her hips.

"Don't make jokes," he insisted.

"Lucas," she said, pushing him back on the bed and sitting on top of him with her knees on either side of his body. "Did you not hear the part where I told him I'm in love with _you_?"

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, and locked eyes with her as he intertwined their hands.

She was right. She was telling him that Julian didn't mean anything to her any more, and that she was with the man she wanted. She loved him. They loved each other. He wasn't going to doubt that now that he had her and they'd said the words.

"I also heard the part where you insinuated you'd go to him if I didn't sleep with you," he said with a smirk.

"Empty threats," she murmured, leaning down to kiss him. "But...be a good boyfriend and give me what I want, OK?"

"And what is it that you want, Peyton Sawyer?" he asked, brushing the hair back from her face.

She shifted her hips and bit her bottom lip as she smiled and pushed up the fabric of his shirt, running her hands over his bare skin.

"You."


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N:** Sorry for the wait. I was out of town and away from pretty much all technology. Ever been to Saskatoon? You'd know what I mean...

**----**

A few days passed, and Lucas and Peyton decided to meet up after their classes to do research in the library together.

That turned out to be a mistake.

A really big mistake.

They were working across the table from one another, each desperately trying to concentrate, but finding themselves completely distracted by the mere presence of the other.

Lucas was wearing the shirt Peyton had told him was her favourite, and every time she looked up, she was blown away by how blue it made his eyes look. Peyton was wearing the jeans he loved tucked into the boots he loved, and every time she got up to get another book, he'd find himself staring at her as she walked away.

Lucas was softly drumming his fingers on the table as he attempted to read. It was a habit of his that she knew of already, but it was driving her crazy.

"Stop it," she said, not looking up from her book.

"What?" he asked, laughing quietly.

"Tapping your fingers like that," she specified, glancing up to meet his eyes.

Those stupid blue eyes.

"I'm not even making noise," he said, defending his action. It was just something he did when he was studying. It wasn't a conscious movement.

"It's not about noise," she said softly.

He noticed that look in her eyes. That look he'd seen quite a lot since the weekend - not that he'd ever complain about seeing it. Her eyes got a little darker and sparkled just a little bit, and her smile got a little lopsided and she blinked slowly.

And damn him for suggesting they go to the library.

He knew it was for that very reason he'd wanted to meet up in a public place. Surely, if they were home together, they'd spend their time...well, not studying or doing any work whatsoever.

"Really?" he asked skeptically, leaning across the table a little bit.

"Really," she confirmed, sitting back in her chair to keep her distance. "Your hands are..."

"What?" he asked with a cheeky smirk.

"They're...good," she finished, and they both chuckled softly at the understatement.

He placed his hand over hers and held it across the table as they went back to their work, and he realized how silly it was that they were constantly touching each other. They were like two teenagers in that blissful phase of their relationship where everything the other did was still adorable.

Though they'd lived together for months, they still felt like they kept learning new things about each other. She learned that he kept his socks in his drawer organized into white, black, and grey in little rows. He learned that her closet was organized chaos. Well, she insisted it was organized. Tee shirts were just folded on the top shelf, and there was no system for anything. He didn't consider himself the neatest person, but he had no clue how she found anything. She, of course, just retorted and told him that it was borderline obsessive compulsive to arrange your socks by colour in the drawer.

"Are you getting anything done?" she asked after another few minutes.

"Not at all," he admitted, laughing when she did.

They caught a glare from the snotty girl at the next table, and Peyton dramatically rolled her eyes and sighed, loudly enough for the girl to hear.

"Seriously, that bitch is about to get beat down," Peyton muttered.

"OK, Lennox Lewis, calm down a little. I don't think you're allowed to punch people in the library," he said quietly.

"I swear to God, if she looks at me like that again..."

"Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me," Lucas proclaimed, dropping his pen on the table and shaking his head.

"What?" she asked obliviously.

"Peyton," a voice came from behind her.

"Oh my God," she groaned. "What do you want, Julian?"

She clutched Lucas' hand a little tighter across the table and he could tell she was visibly uncomfortable.

And angry.

"Aren't you two cozy?" Julian noted with a sadistic smile on his face.

"We were, actually, until you showed up?" Peyton said. "Did you not get the message the other day? And why are you even still here? Shouldn't you be back in L.A. by now?"

"Can we just have a real conversation, Peyton? And then I'll go. I promise," Julian said pleadingly.

"I'd like you to go now," she stated confidently. She had to hide her smile when Lucas squeezed her hand.

"Well, it's a good thing this is a public library," Julian said.

"Actually, it's not a public library. And you aren't a student here," Lucas said seriously.

"He's a genius, huh?" Julian said, the smirk still on his face as he sat down next to Peyton.

"Look," Peyton said, her voice dangerously low, "you and I are over. You made that perfectly clear when you slept with someone else. I'm...I told you that Lucas and I are together. That's _not_ changing."

"I just want a chance to...I still love you," he admitted.

Lucas watched on, and when Peyton looked at him, she knew this was about to get really, really bad. His words from the other day still rang in her ears._ 'I've punched guys over less.' _She knew that Lucas was about to do something drastic, and no matter how pleadingly she looked at him, she knew he'd still defend her and their relationship using whatever means necessary.

"Get up," Lucas said, standing and pushing his chair back.

"What?" Julian asked with a confused look on his face.

"Get. Up."

Julian did as he was told, and he had just barely squared his shoulders to Lucas, when the blonde punched him in the face.

"Luke!" Peyton shouted.

Julian fell back into his chair, and he fully expected Peyton to attend to him.

But that was because he was stupid.

She rushed over to Lucas and took the hand he was shaking into hers, inspecting the flesh that was already red and starting to swell.

"You get the message now?" Lucas asked the man who was sitting and holding his jaw.

"Come on, Luke," Peyton said softly, moving away to gather their things.

She handed Lucas his bag as she slung hers over her shoulder. Lucas turned around and smiled smugly when he realized Peyton wasn't going to give Julian a second glance.

As soon as they were outside, Peyton grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him in for a bruising kiss that had him moaning in surprise and burying his good hand in her hair. They stood like that for a few moments, until he made a noise of protest. He'd tried to open his hand enough to place it on her cheek and felt pain rip through to his fingertips.

"Ah," he grumbled once they'd pulled apart.

"What?" she asked worriedly.

"I need ice," he stated.

"God, that was hot," she breathed out, closing her eyes as she rest her forehead against him. "But what happened to no punching in the library."

"Your ex-boyfriend is a dick, that's what happened!" he said, pulling away from her. "Seriously...if you hadn't been there, I would have..."

"OK, we need to get home. Now," she said after taking a deep breath. "You're seriously so sexy right now."

"My hand hurts," he whined.

"I promise you, I will make sure it's worth it," she said, leaning up to kiss the hinge of his jaw.

"Baby, it already is," he said seriously, locking eyes with her.

That was a loaded statement. There were a lot of meanings there in those few little words. She found herself falling in love with all those meanings. And with Lucas just that little bit more.

She linked her arm through his as they walked home, and about halfway there, she raised his hand to her lips and kissed his tender knuckles.

"I am going to start punching people more often if you keep acting like this," he said with a laugh.

"I love you."

He just let out a soft laugh, kissed her temple, and said those words back to her.

They stepped through the door of the house and Peyton immediately started attending to Lucas like he was helpless.

He kind of liked the attention.

She took his bag from him and led him by the hand to sit on the sofa before rushing into the kitchen, returning moments later with a Tylenol and a glass of water. He tried to reach for her hand to keep her there in the room with him, but she walked back into the kitchen and he heard her getting ice from the freezer.

"Peyton, I'm not a cripple," he said with a laugh once she entered the room again.

"No, but you just punched someone for me, so you get special treatment," she said, sitting on top of him on the sofa so her knees were on either side of him. She reached for his hand and held it between them, and he winced when she pressed the ice to his knuckles.

"Mmm," he muttered. "Special treatment, huh?"

"How is it?" she asked, ignoring the suggestive tone he took with her.

"_So_ much better when you're sitting on my lap," he growled.

"Honey, as much as I would _love_ to make love to you right now," she started, smiling sweetly when he let out a sound from low in his throat, "I don't want to hurt you."

"Hurt me? The only thing that will hurt me is if you don't prove that you're over that jackass," he said. She almost wanted to be mad at the insinuation that she hadn't already proven it, but he was smirking and his eyes were shining like they always did when he teased her.

But she still pressed down on his knuckles with the ice a little harder, making him hiss in pain.

"I was talking about your hand," she said indignantly.

"But you just hurt it on purpose." She glared at him and he just winked at her.

"So...you're OK?" she asked seriously, looking at him with concern.

"I'm _fine_," he insisted. He squeezed her hip with his free hand, and then that look came back; the same one from earlier in the library.

"Come on," she said, standing from her place and reaching for his hand. "Bring your gimpy hand and your bag of ice."

"Seriously? That's not exactly the best game I've seen from you," he said with a laugh as they made their way to the stairs.

"And yet, you're still following me," she pointed out, turning around and brushing up against him. She toyed with one of the buttons of his shirt, and undid it before placing a kiss on the bare skin at the hollow of his throat.

"I think I'd follow you anywhere," he said softly, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"OK...you're amazing," she breathed out, her eyes closed as he kissed the side of her mouth. "I'm...we need to get upstairs."

She reached for his good hand and he watched her hips sway as they walked the rest of the distance to her bedroom, and as soon as they were inside, she had her arms around his neck and her lips on his.

"Peyton," he said softly, placing his hand on her cheek and forcing her to look at him.

"What?" she asked, unnerved.

"This is...you and me..." he started, before realizing he had no clue what words to use to get his point across.

"You and me," she confirmed with a smile when she saw he wasn't going to finish.

She just said everything he wanted to.

----

Peyton woke up Saturday morning with a phone ringing in her ear, and no boyfriend in her bed. She groaned and checked the time, saw that it was 8:30, and reached for the phone without checking caller ID or even making sure it was her phone. In her disoriented state, she didn't even register that it wasn't her ringtone.

"Hello," she grumbled.

"Peyton?"

"Nathan?" she said, sitting up in her bed. "What the hell?"

"You answered Luke's phone," he said with a laugh.

"Ugh. What is with you people being early risers?" she groaned.

"I have a practice this morning. I assume Luke isn't around, or he'd be answering his own cell," Nathan stated.

"Yeah. I don't know where he is. You woke me up and he wasn't here," she said.

"Sharing a bed, huh?" he asked. She could hear that he was smirking that smirk of his.

"OK, do you need something?" she asked.

"I just wanted to tell Luke I got him a bunch of tickets for the game I'm playing in Charlotte in a couple weeks," Nathan explained. "I was expecting him, not your grumpy ass."

"Shut up! It's like, not even light outside yet," she said before looking outside to see that it was, in fact, light out.

"I'm gonna hang up," Nathan laughed. "But pass along the message, OK?"

"I will," she promised. "Talk to you soon."

She'd just hung up with Lucas jogged back into the room in his sweats, tugging at his earphones and short of breath.

"Who was that? Is that mine?" he asked.

"Nathan," she said, rolling onto her side and attempting to get comfortable. "Has tickets to the game."

"Awesome," he said excitedly, pulling his sweater up over his head. "You're coming, right? Hey! We should see if Brooke and Jake want to come."

"Honey, I love you, but if you don't stop talking, I will not be pleasant," Peyton insisted, rolling onto her back just in time to see him put his hands on his hips as he stood there without a shirt on. "Where were you?"

"Went for a run," he informed her. "Why don't you get up? We can watch movies together all day. I'll make breakfast."

"Trust me when I say that I'm only agreeing with you because you're half naked," she mumbled, getting up from the bed in her pajama pants and tee shirt.

"I'm OK with that," he chuckled.

When Peyton called Brooke later that day to fill her in on the basketball game details, and ask if she and Jake wanted to go, Brooke was more than excited. Just not at all about the game itself.

"So I get to hang out with you and Lucas, meet Nathan and Haley and their little boy, and Luke's mom and little sister?" Brooke asked needlessly. "We'll be there!"

"Don't you need to talk to Jake?" Peyton laughed as she eyed Lucas at the other end of the sofa.

"No. He'll want to go. He's in Wilmington right now, and I can get down there, so...we'll be there," Brooke insisted. "So how are things going with hottie roommate slash boyfriend?"

"Brooke, I'm not getting into it," Peyton said, glancing at Lucas as his eyes were fixed on the hockey game on the screen.

"So that's either bad, or very, very good. And since you aren't crying, I'm assuming it's excellent and he's in the same room as you," Brooke explained.

No one could say the girl didn't know relationships.

"Hey Luke," Peyton said, catching his attention. "How are things with us?"

He just smirked and shook his head before speaking. "Good enough that it's really hard to sit next to you right now with you wearing my shirt and not be able to do anything about it."

"Lucas!" Peyton squealed.

"Oh, you weren't lying!" Brooke cried, giddy upon hearing what Lucas had said. "Broody boy _can_ throw down."

"I told you," Peyton said into the phone. "But...I'm gonna go."

"Yeah, you are," Brooke laughed. "Have fun. Don't fake it. Use a condom."

"Goodbye, Brooke," Peyton said with a chuckle before hanging up.

"Did she just tell you to use a condom?" Lucas asked, grinning wolfishly.

"Well, if you want to get technical..." she started.

"No," he said, moving over and laying her down so he was on top of her. "Don't want to get technical."

"She also told me not to fake it," Peyton said, and Lucas reared back at looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"You won't have to," he growled.

He was telling her things she already knew.

----

Peyton had Lily on her hip and Jamie by her side, standing in the arena waiting for the game to start, when Brooke, Jake and Jenny started towards them. Jenny rushed to their seats and threw her arms around Peyton's legs. Lucas looked on as the three kids crowded around his girlfriend, and Haley nudged him not-so-subtly.

"Haley, please," he warned. "We've been together like, three weeks."

"It's just nice to know that she's good with kids, isn't it?" Haley pointed out.

Lucas sighed and looked over at her from the corner of his eye. "OK, fine. It is."

"That's all I'm saying," she said softly. He was about to respond when he was - thankfully - interrupted.

"Lucas," Brooke said with a smile, walking towards him and wrapping her arms around him. "It's so good to see you again."

"You too, Brooke," he said sincerely. "This is Haley, my best friend."

"And sister-in-law," Brooke finished. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Haley said, extending her hand. "I was going to wear one of your tops, but I thought that might be a little too 'fangirl'."

"I would have been flattered," Brooke laughed. "This is my boyfriend Jake."

"Her boyfriend and Peyton's best friend," Jake corrected.

"Second best friend," Brooke said with a raised brow.

"Either way, it's nice to meet you," Haley said as Lucas and Jake laughed. "Jamie, honey, why don't you let go of Peyton's leg and come sit down."

"You too, Lily," Lucas insisted, taking his sister from his girlfriend's arms.

Karen returned with drinks and snacks for the kids, and immediately noticed there were new people there. She'd been told all about Brooke and Jake and Jenny in a conversation she'd had the week prior with Peyton, and she was anxious to meet the people important to her son's girlfriend.

"Karen, these are my friends," Peyton said once Karen had handed out the treats. "This is Brooke Davis, and this is Jake Jagielski."

"It's so nice to met you," Brooke said. "I hear you're almost as devious as I am, scheming to get these two together."

"But I'm a mother, so I'm allowed to meddle," Karen insisted, making them all laugh, and Lucas run a hand over his face.

The kids settled into their seats, all three of them immediately getting along. Jenny, being only a couple years older than Jamie and Lily, fit in quickly, and Peyton just laughed at the sight of Jamie sitting between two little brunettes and sharing his popcorn.

"Nathan would be proud," Lucas said, gently prodding Haley in the ribs.

"Except Lily and Jamie are related," Peyton pointed out.

"But look. He's not even looking at Lily. He's smitten with Jenny!" Brooke squealed, making the other girls laugh.

"Easy," Jake said seriously. Lucas could understand the protective tone. "She's five years old."

"And going after a younger boy. Guess she got something from Nikki after all," Brooke muttered, making Jake glare at her until she kissed him. "So, Haley. You and I need to talk about how brilliant we are that we guessed these two would get together."

"Brooke, please..." Peyton interjected.

"Please what? Bond with my future sort of sister-in-law? I am," Brooke said, making Jake shake his head an Peyton's jaw drop. Lucas just kissed the top of Peyton's hair as they took their seats.

They all laughed together and cheered a little extra for Nathan's baskets, much to the chagrin and annoyance of the Bobcats fans around them. Brooke, Haley, and Peyton ended up with Jenny, Jamie, and Lily in their respective laps, while Jake and Lucas talked about stats and complex plays the girls didn't care much about. Lucas slammed his fist on his arm rest when Nathan missed an open look, and Peyton rubbed his back soothingly. She winked at him, and he smiled. That girl was perfect, he was certain.

After the game, they all went back to the hotel they were staying at, and Karen stayed with the kids, insisting she was fine with the three little ones while everyone else went to the hotel bar and had a few drinks like the 20-something's they were.

Nathan arrived shortly after they got there, and they all ordered a round. He was quickly introduced to Brooke and Jake, and after a quick conversation the guys went off to shoot pool while the girls sat at the table sipping martinis and talking about, well, the guys.

"OK, you realize this is like, the first time we've ever really both had boyfriends at the same time?" Brooke pointed out enthusiastically.

"Wow," Peyton said in shock. "That's true."

"Lucas and I have never been single at the same time since we were...15," Haley said nonchalantly.

"OK, but you've been married since then," Brooke said, making them all laugh.

"Well that's true," Haley said with a smile.

Lucas had just pocketed the 8 ball and was smiling in victory while Nathan and Jake pretended to be annoyed at having lost. Well, maybe they weren't really pretending.

"Look at them," Nathan said, nodding towards the table the women were sitting at. "You'd think they've known each other forever."

They watched as Brooke threw her head back, laughing at something or another, and Peyton and Haley leaned against each other and giggled before signaling for another round.

"Well, it's not exactly like any of them are shy," Lucas said, taking a sip of his beer. "And two drink Haley is hilarious and loves everybody."

"And she's just ordered her third, so she'll be a blast," Nathan groaned. Haley wasn't a big drinker, and she tended to pass out around her fourth drink. "I'll be carrying her to our room later."

"Brooke just gets louder and louder," Jake pointed out, setting up the table for another game. "And Peyton..."

"Finds one person to cling to?" Lucas said with a smirk, and Jake nodded. "I'm just hoping it's me and we'll be alright."

"I have a feeling there's no one else she's ever going to cling to," Nathan said, making Lucas chuckle.

"He's right," Jake confirmed.

Lucas was really glad neither of the other guys could tell how fast his heart was beating.

Brooke, Haley, and Peyton walked over to where the guys were, and each of the mens' gazes immediately fell to their girls.

"Girls against boys?" Peyton suggested, taking the pool cue from Lucas' hands.

"She's a shark, man," Jake said, and Peyton smiled proudly. "I know. I taught her."

The boys accepted the challenge. The girls won the game.

Well, Peyton won the game. Brooke and Haley proved to be the perfect distractions to keep Nathan and Jake missing shots, and Peyton took care of distracting Lucas, though it didn't take much.

"Not fair," Jake pouted, as Brooke slipped her hand into the back pocket of his jeans. "You girls were playing dirty."

"Oh, honey," Brooke murmured. "You don't _know_ dirty."

"OK, those two need a room," Peyton proclaimed, though she was admittedly standing a little closer to Lucas than she normally would.

"Tonight has been so fun," Haley said, slipping her arm around Nathan's waist. "I haven't done this in a long time."

"You Scott boys have anything to add?" Brooke inquired with a kinked brow, flashing them both a dimpled smile. Nathan and Lucas exchanged a glance, then each looked to the girls on their arms.

"It's been a good one," Lucas said, smiling at his friends, both old and new.

"Yeah. Good times," Nathan added with a smirk. "I don't really get to hang out with anyone other than...well, sweaty basketball players."

"Now see, you say that like it's a bad thing," Brooke said.

"OK, Brooke," Jake laughed. "Let's get out of here before you start dancing on table tops."

"Hey!" Brooke cried as they made their way towards the exit.

"Yeah. I mean, in her defense, she's only done that, what? Four times?" Peyton added, and Brooke scowled at her.

They laughed the entire way to their rooms, and Lucas realized that he and Peyton were the only couple who didn't have to pick up a child before retiring. The way Peyton had her hand beneath the fabric of his shirt at his back was making him very, very thankful for that.

They said their goodnights to their friends, and as soon as they were inside their own room, Peyton pulled off the sweater she'd been wearing and kicked off her shoes. She pulled up her hair quickly, and that was when she noticed Lucas staring.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said, walking towards her with a smile on his face. "Nothing at all."

"You have good night?" she asked, and he just nodded as he brushed his nose against hers.

"We have great friends," he said after kissing her.

"It's crazy how well everyone gets along," Peyton said.

"Uh huh," he mumbled, kissing her again and unbuttoning her jeans.

"Hey Luke?"

"Hmm?"

"You suck at pool," she said, suppressing a giggle when he reeled back and glared at her.

"You weren't playing fair," he stated firmly. He let her pull his shirt up over his head, then wrapped his arms around her again. "Will you be my consolation prize?"

She smiled and tilted her head to the side when he started kissing her neck, and she took his face in her hands and shook her head when their eyes locked.

"You can be my reward."

He would have argued. Really, he would have. However, he realized very quickly that it would have been both pointless and futile, since either way, he was getting exactly the same thing.


	19. Chapter 19

After their brief time in Charlotte for Nathan's game, it was back to school work, and back to finals. Peyton was putting the finishing touches on her portrait of Lily for her class, and Lucas was writing an intense paper on...well, something Peyton didn't exactly understand, but listened to him vent about when he was frustrated.

And all this mean that they were locked away in their own rooms most of the time so they wouldn't distract each other and they could actually get things done. Peyton had exams to study for, and so did Lucas, and there was just no way they would have been able to focus if there were in the same place at the same time. They'd learned that the hard way.

Peyton was in the kitchen making tea and stealing cookies from Lucas' 'secret' stash, when he bounded down the stairs. He'd heard her leave her room and he tried his hardest to not take a break at the same time she was.

"Are you stealing cookies?" he asked in mock awe.

"No?" she said sweetly, though she had a mouthful of crumbs.

"Thief," he said, pinning her against the counter.

"Want some tea?" she asked after she swallowed her mouthful of chocolate chip cookie.

"What I want is more time with you," he said, almost pouting.

"Luke, we live together. We sleep in the same bed every night," she pointed out, pulling herself away from him when the kettle whistled.

"I know, but we've hardly done anything other than that since Charlotte," he said.

He was right, and she knew that. They obviously both understood that school had to come first at the moment, and that once their finals were over, they'd be back to normal. They had yet to discuss their Christmas vacation, but they knew they'd be together for the holidays, too.

"Well, if you go study like a good boy, and I go study like a good girl, then we'll ace our tests and have three weeks of no school to spend every waking second together," she promised, pouring two cups of tea, though he hadn't actually said he wanted some. She just assumed.

"Well that sounds great, but I want you right now," he said, standing behind her and putting his hands on her hips as he nuzzled her neck.

"Lucas," she said softly. "Please."

"Please what? Please kiss you more, or please..."

"Please don't start," she said, turning in his arms. "Because if you start, then one of us will have to stop it, and that's just...impossible."

"Baby, I was started before I even came down here and saw you like this," he said, eyeing her appreciatively.

"OK, I'm in your sweater and a pair of flannel pajama pants," she said with a laugh.

"You know how I feel about you in my clothes." He shrugged his shoulder and kissed her quickly, groaning when she pushed him away.

"Seriously. I need to focus on studying, not you," she said, then realized how harsh that sounded. "I love you, but...I'm sorry."

She started walking away from him and towards the stairs, and he just followed behind her, well aware that she was absolutely right. She winked at him before she slipped into her room again, and he went into his own bedroom to study notes and books that weren't nearly as fun as Peyton was.

She snuck into his bedroom at 10:30, wearing just his sweater, and slid beneath the covers with him. He'd fallen asleep while working, so she pulled the text book from where it was resting on his stomach, and set it onto the table next to his bed.

It was bizarre to sleep in his room. They'd only done it a couple times, and she felt really strange even being in there with the door closed.

But then Lucas reached out for her and draped his arm over her stomach, pulling her a little closer to him, and she realized that if she was him, she belonged. If she had him laying next to her, she was alright. He stirred a little bit again and kissed her bare shoulder, whispered that he loved her, and told her that he was taking her on a date that Friday night.

She wondered if those butterflies in her stomach would ever really go away.

----

Peyton wrote her last final on on the Thursday, and Lucas had his on Friday. So Thursday night while hew as cramming, Peyton was totally bored and looking for something to do. Lucas could hear her roaming around the house in what he knew was an aimless way, and she was distracting him even though they weren't in the same room.

After an hour of hearing her shuffle up and down the stairs, chat on the phone with Brooke, Jake and Jenny, then Haley, Lucas had had enough and took drastic - and very terrifying - measures to occupy her.

She was laying on her bed with her legs propped up against the wall when he walked into her room.

"What are you doing?" he asked with a chuckle.

"I'm bored! You're being a hermit, and I have nothing to do!" she cried, moving quickly to sit in an upright position with her legs crossed on her bed.

"This is all very familiar," he said, raising an eyebrow as he referred to a couple nights before.

"I know, but now you're the only one studying, and I'm..."

"Bored. I got it," he said, nodding his head. "Well...I have something to keep you occupied."

"Oh, do you?" she asked seductively, moving so she was on her knees at the edge of the bed.

He moved to stand in front of her and pulled a stack of papers from behind his back.

"What's this?" she asked, taking the pages from him. "Why is your name on this? Did you write this?"

"I did."

"Lucas," she said softly, shaking her head. "Why didn't you tell me you were writing something?"

"Why didn't you tell me you were drawing me?" he asked.

"Are you...does that...Am I?"

"In it? Yes," he answered timidly. "I wasn't going to show you, but...You need something to occupy you."

"I can't believe this," she said softly, unable to stop the tears from forming in her eyes.

"You haven't even read it yet," he reminded her, brushing the hair from her face.

"You wrote a book, Lucas," she said needlessly. She leaned forward and kissed him, then crawled back on the bed as he put his hands on his hips and smiled at her. "Get out! I have reading to do!"

"Be nice," he pleads. "I'm nervous to let anyone read it. Especially you."

"Luke," she said reassuringly, "I love you. I'm sure I'll love this."

Her faith in him and his work was almost too much to comprehend. He just stared at her for a moment before leaning over and kissing her forehead and leaving her to read what he'd been working on for a year and a half.

The novel was his life story, starting with the trials of his childhood, through high school and his family situation. He'd thought it was complete before he started that school year.

And then he met Peyton.

He quickly realized that any story of his needed a love story. Until Peyton, he hadn't thought he'd had it. He started writing about her. Just the day to day observances that had come with living with her. The subtle things she'd do and the way she'd take care of him. Little things that she did that he'd seen a thousand times before, done by a thousand other girls. Things like the way she tugged the belt loops of her jeans to keep from showing too much skin. The way she scratched just above her eyebrow when she was stressed out, or the way she narrowed her eyes when he said something she didn't quite believe.

He wrote it all, and it wasn't until he had her in his story was it anywhere near complete.

She didn't sneak into his room that night, and he fell asleep before he really noticed. But she stayed up all night reading, and crying, and reading. And crying some more. If she hadn't already loved him, she would have after reading his words. And if she hadn't already known he loved her, she would have after reading his words.

He walked past her closed door in the morning when he woke, but he knew that if he'd gone to his exam without talking to her, he would have worried and thought about her, and that wouldn't have been good for his test at all.

So he knocked on her door after he'd finished his coffee, and he saw her there on her bed, her eyes red and puffy, and reading what looked like the last chapter.

"Did you sleep?" he asked worriedly.

"Lucas," she whispered. "This is incredible. It's...beautiful and moving and...It's amazing."

"Yeah?"

"Yes," she said, smiling at him as she stood from the bed. "God, Lucas..."

"You gonna finish that thought?" he asked with a smirk when her voice trailed.

"No," she said softly. "Go kick ass on your exam knowing that I _love_ your novel. And I _love_ that you wrote me. And I _love_ you."

"That actually does make me feel a million times better," he said sincerely. He pressed his lips to hers gently before saying goodbye and leaving the room.

And Peyton finished reading, then immediately dialed Haley and gushed about Lucas' novel, reading her favourite passages and going on about how amazing it was. Haley just took comfort in the fact that Peyton had actually been Lucas' inspiration to finish writing the book. Not since they first got together had Haley doubted that Lucas and Peyton were in love with each other. Now that it was all there in black and white, she was pretty sure Lucas was already thinking about forever. She couldn't say that was the worst thing.

----

Lucas had gone out for lunch with friends to celebrate their semester officially being over, and he'd sent Peyton a text, telling her to put on something warm and he'd be home in an hour to start their date.

She hadn't thought he was serious the other night when he was half asleep and told her he was taking her out. And she had no idea what he was planning, but 'dress warm' sounded a little odd. A lot odd. She didn't like odd.

But she trusted Lucas, so she pulled on a pair of tights under her jeans, and bundled up in a sweater and vest, and dug her 'winter' jacket out from the back of her closet. She didn't know how warm, warm was, but she figured he'd have to give her a little bit of a hint, wouldn't he? She wouldn't put it past him to keep everything a secret or blindfold her or something. If he even tried, she'd complain so much that he'd regret it. She smiled to herself just thinking about it. She knew she had him pretty much wrapped around her finger - she was wrapped around his, too, admittedly - and if she asked sweetly, he'd tell her where they were going.

She had a bit of time before he was due home, so she called Haley, knowing that classes were done, and the brunette would have a bit of time to talk. Nathan was on the road, so it was just Jamie and Haley, but Peyton knew that a short phone conversation would make them both feel better.

"Hey!" Haley chirped into the phone.

"Hey," Peyton said. "So listen, I need your help."

"Oh yeah? What can I do for you?"

"Lucas is taking me on a date and all he told me was to wear warm clothes," Peyton explained. "What the hell does that mean?"

"OK, I would answer that if it didn't mean diving into his mind. I really have no clue what goes on in there," Haley said with a laugh. "But if I had to guess, I'd say he's got some ridiculous trick up his sleeve that's going to make you swoon and fall in love with him all over again."

"He do that kind of thing often?" Peyton asked.

"You tell me," Haley said, making them both laugh. "I dunno. Lucas is a bit of a romantic, so I wouldn't be surprised."

"But...dress warm?" Peyton asked skeptically. "I mean, what in the world...?"

Just then, the door opened and Lucas walked in, smiling at her when he saw her laying on the sofa talking on the phone.

"Hey, Hales? I gotta go," Peyton said quickly. "I'll fill you in later."

"Have fun!" Haley said, laughing to herself when she hung up the phone. She knew exactly what was going on. Lucas had rung her that morning and told her that if Peyton called, to just play dumb and act as though she had no clue what he had planned.

"Where are we going!?" Peyton asked as soon as she had hung up the phone.

"Not telling you," he said, smiling smugly. "It's a secret. Are you going to be warm?"

"I'm sweating already. Tell me right now!" she demanded, standing from the sofa.

"No."

"And what if I refuse to come?"

"You'll come," he stated confidently. "Like you'd say no."

"Luke," she whined. "Please? Tell me."

"Stop begging," he laughed, heading for the stairs. "Ten minutes. Be ready!"

"Lucas!" she yelled after him, letting out a frustrated noise when she heard him chuckling.

He'd known that she would be like this. Any kind of surprise, she'd beg for the information and plead with him to tell her. He knew she'd pout and cross her arms, and pretend she wasn't excited, but he was fully aware that she secretly loved it.

He came downstairs with his jacket on, a scarf around his neck, and he kissed her quickly before heading for the door.

They drove for a while, taking the highway out of town. They knew they'd be leaving again the following week and heading to Tree Hill for the holidays, but this was different. This was just the two of them with - as far as Peyton knew - no set agenda. He had one of his favourite albums playing, his girl by his side, and an expanse of road ahead of him. It didn't get much better than that.

"Why are you stopping here?" Peyton asked when he pulled over to a diner just outside of Raleigh.

"Hot chocolate."

"Why are you getting hot chocolate?" she asked

"Because it tastes good," he stated with a smirk. He knew she was just asking questions in hopes of getting clues, which they both knew he wouldn't give away.

He winked at her before stepping out of the car, and she sat there and watched through the window as he made small talk with the waitress and shelled out for the two styrofoam cups.

"Can you not tell me?" He'd just gotten back into the car and set the cups in the cupholders before fastening his seat belt.

"In fact, I _can_ not tell you," he said, smiling over at her as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"I hate that you are so...so...wordy." She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away from him and out the window.

"Stop pouting. We'll be there in a few minutes," he said with a chuckle.

"I'll pout all I want!"

She really had no clue where they were when he turned onto a narrow, deserted back road and started driving past a chain link fence. There wasn't another car in sight, and she turned to look at him skeptically.

"If you have a shovel in the back, tell me now," she joked, smiling when he laughed.

"No. It's nothing bad," he promised her, taking her hand in his.

They pulled into a little driveway at the side of the road, and she saw that there was nothing around. There was just a high fence on one side and a forest of sorts on the other side. He got out of the car and ran around the other side to open her door for her like he always did, and as soon as she'd set her feet on the ground, a huge plane flew over their heads, engine loud and rumbling, before touching down on the tarmac that she hadn't noticed.

"What's...?"

"Come here," he said, reaching for a blanket she hadn't known was in the back of the car.

He led her to a clear patch of grass and laid out the blanket before reaching for her hand to have her sit down next to him. He took a sip of his hot chocolate as they watched another plane taking off.

"Keith used to bring me here when I was a kid," he said, turning to her just in time to see her smile. "He'd never say where he was taking me, but we'd always end up here with hot chocolate. Or sweet tea in the summer." She held his hand a little tighter, and rest her head on his shoulder. "We'd talk about basketball and my mom and stuff. It was just our one-on-one time away from Tree Hill."

"I wish I could have met him," she said softly, and he kissed the top of her head.

"Me too."

"So why'd you bring me here?" she asked delicately.

"Because it's nice to come here sometimes," he said simply. "And...I dunno...I'm sure my mom knew where we went, but I never told her, and I never heard Keith tell her. It's cool to think that this was our little escape, you know? Like, our secret spot."

"And you want to share it with me?" she asked, almost skeptically.

"I want to share all sorts of things with you," he said, smiling just before he leaned over and kissed her. Haley was right - Peyton was swooning and falling in love all over again. "Didn't you have a place like this?"

"My mom used to take me to this little bakery in Wilmington on the Sundays when my dad was away. They had the best cupcakes, and we'd always have cupcakes and tea together," Peyton explained. "I always thought it was so cool that she let me drink tea when I was so little, but when I got older, I realized it was just hot water with lemon squeezed into it."

Lucas let out a chuckle and ran his thumb over her knuckles. "I'll tell you what. I'll buy you a cupcake when we go to Wilmington over Christmas. We can have real tea."

"Yeah," she whispered, leaning against him again. "That'd be nice."

They sat like that for a couple hours, just watching planes come and go, not at all worried about where those planes were going or who might be on them. They could play that game another time. This time was about sharing stories they hadn't told and letting each other in on secrets. It was about holding hands and being close and being away from their little house and their little town and everything that was there. They had no distractions, really. There was no television, and no books, and no one needed to study. It was just the two of them, and they could just laugh and talk as much or as little as they wanted to.

When she finally stood from her place, Peyton bent down and touched her toes, then stretched her arms over her head. Not that he'd ever really cursed her doing yoga, but there were certainly a lot of times he was thankful for it.

"What?" she asked when she noticed Lucas still sitting in his place and staring.

"Nothing!" he answered, far too quickly for his statement to be convincing at all. She put her hands on her hips and tilted her head to the side, and he rolled his eyes before standing and wrapping his arms around her. "You don't know what you do to me."

"Probably the same thing you do to me," she said softly, brushing her lips against his. "Come on. I'm starving."

They were quiet the entire drive home. It wasn't that they had run out of things to talk about, they just didn't _need_ to talk. They were content just listening to the music coming from the radio and the hum of the tires on the road.

Once they stepped back into the house, Peyton started shedding her layers, leaving a trail of clothes behind her until she was in just her jeans and a little tank top, starting up the stairs. Lucas just laughed and followed her, picking up the garments she'd left on the floor and tossing them into her room at her before going into his to change again.

She barged into his bedroom just as he'd tugged off his jeans, and he was standing there in just his boxer shorts. He couldn't say he hated her standing there in her underwear and tank top.

"This is stupid," she stated firmly.

"Excuse me?"

"This! Us in separate rooms," she clarified, waving her arm in a sweeping motion around the room.

"Peyton, we're five feet across the hall from one another," he chuckled. She took his hand and walked to the bed, sitting down with one leg tucked beneath her.

"But we don't need to be," she pointed out. "Why don't you just move your things into my room. Our room. Whatever."

"By my things, you mean..."

"Your clothes and books and...stuff," she said with a shrug. "We spend all our time in my room anyway."

"We're not in there now," he said, just to be a geek.

"You're annoying."

"But you want me to live in your room? Our room. Whatever," he asked. Of course, he had to tease her a little bit.

"Yes," she said with a nod of her head.

"OK."

"OK?" she asked.

"Yeah. I mean, we'll have to organize some stuff..."

"What?" she interrupted him.

"You know," he said, shrugging his shoulder as he stood to pull on his sweats. "The closet and your dresser and...well, you're not the most organized person."

"And your room can be an office," she stated, brushing off his comment. That wasn't the moment to start an argument, especially when they both knew he was right. "OK. I'm starving. Go make dinner."

"Peyton," he said, reaching for her wrist before she could leave the room, "this is a big deal, isn't it?"

"Kind of a big deal," she confirmed.

"I love you."

"I love you, too," she said softly.

They said it a lot. Too much, maybe. But, was there really any such thing as telling someone you love them too often?


	20. Chapter 20

They spent the next two days making room for Lucas' things in Peyton's room, and carrying books across the hall. They'd decided that they'd put both their bookshelves in his old room and keep all their books together there. The biggest step, for him, was alphabetizing their collections together. In his mind, that was the most serious thing he'd ever done in a relationship.

They moved Peyton's desk and easel into Lucas' old room, creating space in hers - theirs - for his dresser. They cleaned and organized her closet, and she actually admitted that his system was a little better than what she'd been using, and he smiled proudly at having convinced her. His navy blue throw pillows from his bedroom somehow matched her red and orange linens, though that was maybe just them thinking everything was perfect. Either way, they had more pillows to lounge against. Well, Peyton had more pillows to lounge against. As Lucas pushed furniture around, Peyton lay on the bed and directed him - jokingly - in a particularly patronizing way.

Peyton was laying on _their_ bed on Sunday evening, a cup of tea steaming on the table next to her as she read a couple revised pages of Lucas' novel. He was reading one of her favourite books - _High Fidelity_ by Nick Hornby - as a rare early Coldplay acoustic set played in the background.

"So, you need to send this to people," Peyton stated abruptly.

"Hmm?" he asked absently.

"Your book," she specified. "You need to find publishers to send it to."

"Well, it's not exactly that easy," Lucas told her, closing the book and setting it on his lap. He loved her for having such a simple view of his art. It was good - well, she thought it was - and so everyone should read it. To her, there was nothing more to it than that.

"Why not? Don't you have some connections?" she asked with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Well, there's Lindsey."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Excuse me?" she asked incredulously.

"She's an editor. Her father owns..."

"Are you...? Are you serious?"

"You just...Peyton, you asked, and I answered," he stated simply.

"Luke, you don't say your ex-girlfriend's name. Not when we're talking about your work and how we can get you published. You can't...you can't."

He really, really wanted to remind her of the time she brought up her ex. And that was worse. That was completely out of nowhere. But he didn't fancy himself a stupid man - though he was sure she'd disagree at this moment - so he didn't say a word about it.

"I was just answering your question," he repeated.

"Don't answer it with her name!" she shouted. "I kind of meant - do you know any professors, or faculty who would know where you could send your manuscript."

"I don't see what the big deal is," he said. She stood from her place and moved a little further away from him, and he didn't like that one bit. It was a defensive move, and he should have seen it coming, but he didn't like it.

It hit him quickly that this was their first fight. Their first real fight. This weekend was supposed to be all moving and joking about each others' things. Not fighting over something so silly.

Maybe he was a stupid man.

"The big deal is that she was the first thing you thought of." She paced the room a couple times before stopping and putting her hands on her hips. "You think about getting published, and _she's_ the one you want to share it with."

"I don't!" he shouted, standing and walking to where she stood. "I don't want to share anything with her. I'm just a guy who didn't think before he said something."

"Whatever," she breathed out, shaking her head. "Don't...don't try to get all cute. I'm...I can't do this right now."

"Do what?" he asked, throwing his arms up in frustration. That, he realized, may not have helped.

"This," she said, gesturing between the two of them. "Argue with you."

"Well, do you think_ I_ want to argue? I'm trying to apologize!"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "You _haven't_ tried to apologize." She walked away before she could see the look on his face that proved he knew she was right. "Don't follow me."

"Peyton..."

"Don't," she repeated seriously.

She left the house with just her jacket, her wallet, her keys and her phone. Come to think of it, that was all she really needed. She knew she'd return home when she was done clearing her head. She was wondering if maybe the step they took was too big, too soon. Sure, they already lived together, but maybe combining their things and giving up that last bit of personal space was too big a change. She got into her car and turned the key, and though she much rather would have just walked, it was getting late, and it was dark, and Lucas would have been upset if she'd walked around on her own.

She hated that she was still thinking of him, even when she was so mad.

She wanted to talk to someone who might understand, but she didn't know who to call. Brooke was the obvious choice, but she was in Milan for the week, and Peyton didn't want to mess about trying to figure out the time change and all that. It was too late to call Jakes, since Jenny would be in bed. Haley was probably on the phone to Lucas.

So she dialed the one person she knew would probably be around to help her.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Nathan," she said as she drove slowly through the town, going nowhere but needing to be somewhere.

"Peyton. What's up?" he asked happily.

"Nothing, I was just...I..."

"What'd he do?" Nathan asked. His tone had changed. It had gone from cheerful to disappointed. She knew that disappointment wasn't in her.

"Lindsey."

"What!?" Nathan roared.

"No!" Peyton said, letting herself laugh at the misunderstanding. "No. He didn't _do_ her. He...her name was brought up, and I got a little mad and left."

"How was it brought up?" he asked. "Sorry. How was _she_ brought up."

"You don't like her, do you?" Peyton asked, trying to make it sound like she wasn't smiling.

"I never did. She was...snotty and bitchy and just...Not for him," Nathan explained rationally. Well, somewhat rationally. "He needs a girl like you. No. Screw that. He needs _you_."

"Well, thank you," Peyton said softly. "I just...we were talking about his writing, and I mentioned him sending it to some publishing houses, and...he mentioned her name like he'd let her help him."

"Well, no one said he was a bright guy," Nathan muttered. "What an idiot."

"That's what I was thinking," she said, and she heard him chuckle. "I'm sorry to bug you about this, but..."

"You're not bugging me," he insisted. "I'm sitting in a hotel room in Pheonix playing blackjack with a couple teammates."

"Oh, God! That doesn't make me feel better," she said with a laugh. "They're gonna think I'm just your brother's crazy girlfriend."

"Oh, trust me, these guys aren't in any position to judge anyone's girl problems," Nathan laughed. Peyton could hear murmurs in the background. "Listen, you've gotta just talk to him. Luke's not going to let you go. I told him that if he did, I'd beat his ass."

"I feel like you're my big brother," she said, making them both laugh.

"Well, I'm gonna look out for you," he told her seriously. "Even if that means disagreeing with my brother."

"He makes it pretty easy to disagree with him sometimes, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, he does," Nathan said softly. "Just talk to him. I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it."

"Maybe," Peyton said.

"Go home, talk it out, and call me tomorrow afternoon and let me know how it went," Nathan insisted.

Truthfully, she felt better already. She thought that just maybe that had everything to do with Nathan saying that Lucas needed her. She _wanted_ Lucas to need her. She certainly needed him.

She said goodbye and hung up, and she made her way back to the house. She could see him as soon as she turned onto the street. He was sitting there on the porch steps waiting for her to come home.

She was pretty sure she'd already forgiven him - if he really had anything to apologize for - but the long conversation they had that evening cleared the air. She told him she wanted what was best for him, even if that meant working with his ex - though she still wasn't crazy about the idea. He told her that he just wanted to make her happy, even if that meant that his novel never got published because he couldn't find anyone who would pick it up.

They went to sleep that night in 'their' room for the first time. Before she drifted off, he kissed her temple and told him he didn't ever want to be anywhere but with her.

----

Peyton woke one morning the week and a half before Christmas to find a note on the pillow, telling her he'd gone for a run and he'd be back in a bit, and he'd bring coffee and breakfast for her. He was always leaving those notes, and she loved them. She loved how he signed just the first letter of his first name. She loved that even if he'd gone out for a run, he'd stop and bring her a coffee. How he never managed to wake her up as he was getting ready to go, she didn't know. It just never happened.

There was a knock at the door just as she was drifting back to sleep for another few minutes of rest. She stepped out of bed and pulled one of Lucas' sweaters over her head and stepped into a pair of pajama pants.

As much as he was always careful not to wake her as he was leaving, he was always locking himself out of the house and waking her as he was coming home.

"Lucas Scott, I swear if you forgot your keys again, I'll kick your a..." she rambled as she pulled the door open. She stopped short when she saw Haley and Jamie standing on her porch.

"Kick his what?" Haley asked with a smirk and a kinked brow.

"Oh my God! Come in!" Peyton said happily, taking Jamie's hand in one of hers and one of their bags in another. "What are you doing here?"

"Nathan's on the road, and we didn't want to stay in Atlanta all alone. We figured we'd come visit uncle Lucas and aunt Peyton," Haley said as they all moved into the house and got settled into the living room.

Peyton's heart nearly stopped in her chest at being referred to as 'aunt Peyton'.

"Where's uncle Lucas?" Jamie asked, looking around at what had changed and what hadn't since he'd moved out of that house.

"He's out for a run. He'll be back soon," Peyton said.

As if on cue, Lucas stepped through the door and stopped in his tracks when he saw his best friend and his nephew sitting on the sofa.

"Uncle Lucas!" Jamie shouted, jumping up and rushing towards his uncle.

"Hey, buddy!" Lucas said happily. "When'd you get here?"

"Two minutes ago," Haley said, standing from her place to wrap her arms around Lucas. "Hi."

"Hey," he said, picking Jamie up and moving to sit in the chair across from the sofa. He handed Peyton her coffee and muffin from her favourite little place in town, and she gave him a perfect smile as a thank you.

"Did you know they were coming?" Peyton asked.

"Peyt, do I look like I was expecting company? I wasn't even here!" he laughed.

"Don't you just love the early morning sarcasm from this one?" Haley asked, turning to Peyton, but pointing at Lucas.

"Oh, she can hold her own," Lucas pointed out. Peyton jokingly glared at him, and he just laughed.

"I feel kind of bad for just stopping in unannounced," Haley said sincerely.

"No way. Don't worry a bout it," Peyton said, dismissing the notion that Haley - or any of the family - was unwelcome in their home. "It'll be nice to have you guys around for a few days."

"I was getting sick of her anyway," Lucas said, speaking to Jamie and making the boy laugh. He shot Peyton a wink and she just shook her head.

"It's so weird to be here now," Haley said, looking around the space. She saw photos of Brooke, Jake and Jenny, as well as Peyton with a man Haley assumed was the blonde's father. "It's...the same, but different."

"You should see upstairs," Lucas said with a smile. "You OK to stay in Jamie's room? I mean, my bed is still in mine, but..."

"No, it's fine," Haley said, dismissing Lucas' rambling. "We usually sleep in the same bed when Nathan's away anyway."

"You're not supposed to do that," Lucas said, recalling conversations he'd had with his brother about separation anxiety and all that. "What does Nathan say?"

"Nathan doesn't say anything," Haley laughed. "He's smart enough not to mention it, since he's the one leaving all the time."

"Well, it's for his job," Peyton said with a shrug of her shoulders. "I mean, he could be an accountant or something and he'd be home all the time."

"Nathan? An accountant?" Lucas asked, laughing hysterically. "Can you tell she's new?"

"If you're not careful, they'll be sleeping with me, and you'll be on the couch," Peyton said, raising her eyebrow at him and making Haley laugh.

Lucas stood from his place and set Jamie down on his feet, then announced that he was going to shower. Peyton just shook her head at him when he leaned down and kissed her temple before running to grab Haley's bags and take them upstairs with him. His unnecessary little touches and gestures were ones she always seemed to roll her eyes at or pretend she didn't love, she actually really did.

"Listen, why don't you and Luke go grab coffee or something? Spend the day together," Peyton suggested after filling Haley in on what had happened in the couple days since they last spoke. Haley looked at her as though she had three heads. "What?"

"Are you sure?" Haley asked. "I mean, Jamie's..."

"Awesome," Peyton finished. "And I can take care of him. What do you think, James?"

"Can we paint?" Jamie asked innocently. "Mommy says you paint."

"Yeah, we can paint," Peyton said, pulling the boy up onto the sofa next to her.

"Are you sure?" Haley asked worriedly, smiling when Peyton looked at her admonishingly. "OK. We just have to see if Lucas actually wants to."

"Wants to what?" Lucas asked as he trotted down the stairs again.

"Hang out with your best friend," Peyton offered.

"Jamie?" Lucas teased.

"Honestly, how do you deal with him?" Haley asked, looking at Peyton, who just shook her head.

"You've been dealing with him longer than I have," Peyton pointed out.

Haley really wanted to say that Peyton would be dealing with him forever. She knew it, Nathan knew it, Lucas knew it, and Peyton no doubt knew it too. Of course, Lucas hadn't said it straight out, but Haley knew him better than to think he wasn't already thinking about it. And sure, the two had only been dating a month, but Haley had never seen Lucas so naturally _with_ someone. And maybe it was just that she really liked Peyton, but she'd never seen Lucas so happy, either.

Haley and Lucas left after a short chat and Haley explaining to Jamie to be good for Peyton, and that Peyton wouldn't lie if he was bad. They all knew, however, that she definitely would lie if she had to. The only thing that they knew more was that Jamie would most likely be an angel.

The two best friends started walking in the direction of their favourite little coffee shop without even talking about where they were going. It was the one place they always went when Nathan would watch Jamie, or where they'd meet after classes when Haley wanted a little time before relieving the babysitter.

"So," Haley said with a smile as they sat at a booth with their drinks, "how in love with her are you?"

"Haley, please," Lucas groaned. There was no way he was going to answer that question. Mostly because he got the impression he really didn't need to.

"I'm just saying. Every time I see you together, you're like, _more_ of a couple," Haley pointed out. "It's good."

"That's usually how relationships go, Hales," Lucas laughed. "You and Nathan were practically picking out rings a month into your relationship."

"Shut up!" she squealed, swatting his arm across the table. "But seriously. Things are obviously good."

"Things are great," Lucas said, smiling down at his coffee cup. He almost hated how girly he was when it came to talking about his relationship. But not quite. "What about you and Nathan?"

"Why would you ask that?" Haley asked with a furrowed brow.

"Because he's got an insane job, you're juggling school and raising a child, Nathan's away a lot," Lucas said, looking at her sympathetically. "I like to think you'd tell me if you were having a hard time."

"It's...not the easiest thing," Haley admitted. "It's tough, you know? When he's away for a week at a time. But, it's his dream, so I'm...I'm so happy that he's doing it."

"The paycheck doesn't hurt either," Lucas mumbled, and Haley rolled her eyes. She really couldn't argue, though. "Well, you know if you need anything, we're here for you."

"We," Haley said softly, shaking her head. "It's so good to hear you saying 'we' again, Luke."

He just smiled. He couldn't really say anything in response to that. If he was being honest, it felt pretty damn good to be a 'we' again.

----

Peyton laid out some paper on the table in the dining room, and brought out some washable paints and old brushes for she and Jamie to use. She made the boy put on one of Lucas' old tee shirts - of course, he looked adorable in the oversized clothing - and the two of them sat for a while. Jamie had yet to even make a single mark on the page.

"What's wrong, buddy?" Peyton asked.

"Can I see your paintings?" he asked innocently.

She'd been just aimlessly sketching as they chatted about basically nothing in that adorable way three year olds were known to do. Non sequiturs and goofy sayings. Little jokes and funny statements.

"Sure," Peyton said, smiling at him. "Come on."

She lifted him into her arms - he tripped over the long tee shirt when he tried to walk - and they went upstairs into what used to be Lucas' room, where her paintings were hanging on the walls and tucked onto a rack to protect the canvas. Jamie looked around at first, a little in awe at the amount of paintings in the room, then Peyton set him down and he looked up at her with a smile.

"What do you think?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Good," he said simply, with a firm nod of his head. She just laughed and looked around the room.

"Which one do you like best?" she inquired.

He glanced around for a moment before his eyes fell on the sketch of Lucas, then the one of Lily.

"That one," he said, pointing to his uncle.

Of course, she thought. It was admittedly her best work to date, and she was actually impressed that the little boy had recognized it. Sure, it may have just been that it was a familiar subject, but she was choosing to have a little more faith than that in his artistic eye.

"Want to see something?" Peyton asked. "But it's a secret."

"I like secrets!" Jamie said excitedly.

"OK, but do you think you can keep this one? Not like last time," she warned, trying not to laugh.

"I promise!" he said, holding out his pinky. She looped her little finger around his and they pinky promised - something she hadn't done in years - before moving over to the closet.

She pulled out a mostly-completed painting, and almost held her breath to hear his reaction. His eyes lit up and he smiled wider than she'd ever seen him do before.

"That's my daddy!" he proclaimed, pointing at the canvas.

"Yeah, it is," Peyton said with a smile.

She'd been working on it for a couple weeks in her spare time, fully intending on giving it to Nathan as his Christmas gift. It was him in a darkened gym, in his uniform, ball in hand as he finished a dunk. Meeting the Scotts had done wonders for her portraiture skills.

"It's awesome," Jamie said, making Peyton laugh again.

"You think he'll like it?" she asked. "I'm going to give it to him at Christmas."

"Yeah," Jamie nodded. "What are you giving _me_ for Christmas?"

"Oh, come on," she said admonishingly. "You really think I'm going to tell you that?"

"I can still ask," he said innocently, smiling at her.

"You can ask all you want, kid, but I'm not telling you," she laughed, picking him up again.

"Hey!" he said, pointing to another painting in the closet. "The River Court!"

"Yeah," Peyton said with a smile. "That one's for uncle Lucas."

"You're cool," Jamie stated. Peyton just laughed as she hid the paintings again and started back towards the door.

"You're cool, too, Jamie," Peyton said, squeezing the boy a little bit.

They went back downstairs and Peyton helped Jamie paint a picture of his family - his whole family. Nathan, Haley, himself, Lucas, Deb, Karen, Lily, and to her surprise, Peyton. She really was part of the family.

When Lucas and Haley returned home, Jamie excitedly showed them his painting, with his uncle and mom smiling at Peyton as Jamie explained who was who and how Peyton had helped him with the leaves on the trees.

"He adores you," Haley said as she and Peyton finished up the dishes from dinner.

The only problem with that statement was that Peyton didn't know who Haley was referring to.

"Yeah," she said. She figured it was a safe response. They heard the boys shouting at the television, watching the warmup of the game they were all about to watch - Nathan was in Utah playing the Jazz.

"I'm talking about Jamie," Haley elaborated, and both women laughed. "He drew you into his picture! But...I guess you'd know a thing or two about that." She sent Peyton a pointed look so the blonde would know exactly what she was referring to.

"Oh, Lucas is so dead," Peyton muttered, shaking her head. "I can't believe he told you."

"Lucas tells me pretty much everything," Haley said seriously.

"I'll have to keep that in mind," Peyton said with a laugh. "But...if you want to see it, it's upstairs."

"What is?"

"The portrait," Peyton explained.

"I thought you were all cryptic and secretive about your art," Haley said, drying her hands on a dishtowel and reaching for her half-finished glass of wine.

"I was, but...I don't know," Peyton said, shrugging her shoulder. "I guess when you see things other people have created, you kind of...you stop feeling like you have to hide it."

"You mean Lucas' novel?" Haley asked.

"His novel," Peyton said, nodding her head. "Your music."

"He told you about my music?" Haley asked incredulously as they started towards the living room.

"He tells me pretty much everything," Peyton said teasingly.

Haley rolled her eyes and the two of them joined the boys on the sofa. Jamie sat on his uncle's lap while the girls sat on either side. They watched together as the Hawks won their game, and Nathan scored the game-winning shot. It was well past Jamie's bedtime when the game ended, and he fell asleep as soon as Lucas had carried him upstairs and laid him in bed.

The three 'adults', though they'd joke that sometimes they didn't feel like adults, stayed up a while longer, talking about their holidays. Lucas and Haley filled Peyton in on all their Christmas traditions, laughing like children about the things they still loved, like hot chocolate with five marshmallows at the counter of the café, and how Karen always made them wake up at 8:00 on the dot; no sooner, no later.

Haley went to bed around midnight and Lucas and Peyton followed soon after, settling into their bed. Peyton was in one of his sweaters with her pajama pants on - which was pretty much what she wore every night. Lucas pulled her close and asked her when she wanted to go to Tree Hill.

He wasn't at all surprised when she answered, _as soon as possible_.


	21. Chapter 21

Peyton and Lucas were on the outskirts of town, laughing as they walked hand in hand, watching Lily weave through the selection of Christmas Trees. Karen had sent them out with her SUV to choose a tree, and Peyton could only chuckle at how Lucas and Lily's eyes went wide; she wasn't sure who was more excited. She had no idea Lucas was so crazy about Christmas.

Crazy might have been an understatement.

"OK, we're looking for fullness of branches, height, greenness, and smell," he outlined to Peyton, his face changing when he saw the smile she was trying to suppress. "What?"

"Look at you, all excited for Santa," she teased.

"Hey," he said indignantly, "this is my favourite holiday."

"Mine too," Peyton insisted. "I'm just less of a dork about it, that's all."

"I'm not a..."

"Lukey!" Lily cried happily from 20 feet ahead. Peyton just laughed when Lucas groaned at his sister's loud - and public - use of that nickname. "This one!"

"Let's see," he said as they approached her. He lifted her into his arms and inspected the tree. "Nice form. Great smell. Very green. No loose needles." He nodded appreciatively and pretended he didn't see Peyton shaking her head. "Looks like you found it, Lil."

"I found the tree, Peyton!" Lily said excitedly.

"You sure did," Peyton laughed. "And want to know the best part?" The little girl nodded. "Now I'm going to buy us some hot chocolate, and we get to watch Lukey try to get this tree onto the roof of the car!"

She pulled Lily into her own arms as Lucas scowled at her, then he kissed both girls' foreheads as he pulled out the cash to pay for the tree and flagged down someone who worked at the little tree farm. He watched them walk over to the little canteen, smiling when he saw Peyton blowing on Lily's drink to cool it down.

"She's a sweetheart," the attendant said to Lucas as she took his money.

"She's something," he said, shaking his head. He wasn't sure which girl the woman was talking about, but he knew his response would have been the same no matter what.

"Cute family," she mused, watching as Peyton and Lily approached. Peyton was holding Lily's hand, and both girls were smiling. Lucas realized how they must have looked.

"Oh, we're..."

"Luke, we're going to wait in the car, OK?" Peyton interrupted. Lucas could only nod.

He thought his heart was going to beat out of his chest. Apparently that kind of misunderstanding was common when you had a sister 18 years younger than you. It had happened before, and he'd always taken it with a grain of salt. This time, it was different. He knew exactly why, but it was so light years too soon to be thinking of a family, that he wanted to push those thoughts to the back of his mind.

The girls giggled in the warm vehicle as Lucas and another man hoisted the tree onto the roof, and Lucas just hoped Nathan would be at the house to give him a hand when he got back.

"Thanks for the help," he said, only half-joking, when he got back in the drivers seat.

"We got you hot chocolate," Lily said sweetly from her car seat.

"You did?" he asked, as though that was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for him.

"Of course," Peyton said with a shrug.

She reached for his hand after he'd turned the key, and they drove home - well, to Karen's - with Lucas singing Christmas carols along with the radio, and Peyton and Lily laughing at his antics. As they pulled onto their street, Peyton rest her left hand on Lucas' shoulder, and he looked over at her and gave her the most perfect smile she'd ever seen.

And she had the overwhelming feeling that this was somehow her future. Her, and him, and a child in the back seat. She didn't know why she wasn't terrified by that, but she assumed it had a lot to do with how insanely in love with him she was.

Nathan was at the house, ready to help Lucas with the tree, and Peyton hugged him tightly when she got out of the car. They hadn't seen each other since Charlotte. Well, no one other than Haley and Jamie had seen him since Charlotte.

"So good to see you," Peyton said, her chin resting on his shoulder.

"You too, Sawyer," Nathan insisted. He really did feel like she was becoming like a sister, and though they spoke on the phone fairly often, it was nice to be able to spend time with her.

"Dude, get your hands off my girl and help me out, here," Lucas teased, putting a hand on his hip after lifting Lily out of the car.

"Nathan!" Lily shouted. Nathan just laughed as he knelt down to hug the little girl.

"Don't tell your mommy who told you, but there are fresh gingerbread men in the kitchen. She's trying to hide them, but maybe Peyton could steal you one," Nathan said, chuckling when Lily's eyes went wide.

"I'm on it," Peyton said seriously, following Lily up the steps into the house.

She stepped into the kitchen, and Karen sent her a wink before looking quickly to where the cookies were cooling on wire racks. She obviously wasn't hiding them - yet - she just wanted the kids to think she was to give them the thrill of sneaking cookies. Peyton adored Karen's parenting style.

She waited until Karen was turned around, then lifted Lily up to grab a cookie, then set her down on her feet and quickly gestured for her to rush out of the kitchen.

"I don't know which one is the three year old," Peyton mused as she and Karen heard Lucas and Nathan come back into the house, talking to the kids and Haley about the tree.

"You should have seen him at that age," Karen said, smiling fondly. "Keith always made such a big deal about Christmas. I think that has a lot to do with the excitement he still has."

"That explains it," Peyton said softly. She knew the holidays were an especially difficult time for Karen and Lucas, and she sent Karen a knowing smile.

"And it's Christmas!" Karen proclaimed, gently patting Peyton's arm and making her laugh. "Don't be a Scrooge."

Karen handed a box of Christmas decorations to Peyton, and then winked and went off to instruct the boys on where to put the tree.

Peyton looked around the room and smiled to herself from where she stood. Haley was keeping the kids occupied with a little Christmas craft that included red, green and silver glitter pens and a few store-bought place mats, and Lucas was standing with his hands on his hips, glancing at his mother with an irritated look on his face as she told him to move the tree 'a little to the left'. Nathan just laughed and took it all in stride, no doubt just happy to be home for a bit. He had another two games in Charlotte before Christmas, then was back out on the road two days after the 25th.

Peyton looked through the box in her hands, and pulled out a little green Christmas sweater. It was hand-knitted, she could tell, and there was a penguin wearing a Santa hat on the front.

"My sweater!" Lucas cried happily.

"Oh honey, _please_ tell me you aren't going to try to wear this," Peyton teased as everyone laughed at Lucas' enthusiasm.

"No, you goof," he said, walking over to her and taking the sweater from her. "Mom made this for me. Hang on."

He disappeared into his bedroom while Haley and Karen exchanged a glance. They both knew exactly what he was doing. He emerged moments later with a photograph in his hands of he and Keith, wearing matching sweaters with penguins on the front.

"Oh my God," Peyton said sweetly. "That's so adorable."

"Right?!" Karen laughed. "Keith hated it!"

"Well, he was a grown man," Nathan pointed out.

"I just wanted them to match for the photo," Karen explained. "And I still have that sweater, too, so someday you can have a photo of you and your son in matching sweaters."

As soon as she'd said it, Karen's face changed, and it seemed every adult in the room was holding their breath, waiting for Peyton's response to that statement. Lucas was sure she'd be running out the door and never looking back.

But instead of freaking out, Peyton just leaned over, kissed Lucas' cheek, and smiled at Karen.

"What?" she asked when she noticed the way everyone was staring.

"Nothing," Nathan laughed, shaking his head. "Nothing at all."

Peyton shrugged one shoulder and walked away from them and back into the kitchen, and they all laughed softly as Lucas shook his head.

His girl was a keeper. She was a keeper, and she had absolutely no idea.

----

Peyton and Haley did the dishes after finishing their dinner, and they could hear Lucas and Nathan playing with the kids in the living room. Karen had gone out to a holiday party at a friend's house, and so it was just the four 'adults' and Lily and Jamie.

"You know? Every time I see you, you just look happier and happier," Haley pointed out, grabbing another plate to dry and put away as Peyton wiped down the counter.

"Well...I'm...I mean..."

"I guess it's easy to be happy when you get what you've always wanted," Haley said, smiling when Peyton did.

"Not everything I've always wanted," Peyton argued. "But this family is pretty amazing."

"Are you saying that you...I mean, eventually...want a family? With Luke?" Haley asked, barely able to keep her excitement in check.

"Well...whoa. OK. I just...That's crazy to say," Peyton said with a chuckle.

"Is it?" Haley asked delicately as she wiped her hands.

"I just always wanted to be the kind of mom that my mom never got to be," Peyton said softly, locking eyes with the brunette, who smiled and nodded her head. "You go ahead. I'll finish up in here."

"You sure?" Haley asked.

"Yeah. It's fine."

Peyton made sure the kitchen was spotless, then she stood in the doorway and watched as Nathan ticked Lily, and Jamie giggled at something Haley said. Lucas was reading from an old hardcover as he sat in the wing back chair in the living room, and after a while, he looked up and saw Peyton standing there. He set his book on the table and walked over to stand in front of her.

"You know, you're standing under the mistletoe?" he pointed out softly, resting his hands on her hips.

"I know. I've been here waiting for you for five minutes," she said, making him laugh quietly. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, and she let out a noise from low in her throat.

"I love Christmas," he whispered once they'd parted.

"I love _you_," she said, making him smile.

It was a great little moment until Lily started giggling, and Nathan let out a wolf whistle.

----

Nathan and Haley left with Jamie just before 9:00, and Lucas and Peyton put Lily to bed before curling up together on the sofa and watching _Love Actually_ on television. Lucas was a little surprised to learn that it was one of Peyton's favourites, but when she explained all her reasons, he realized that it was kind of a given. It was a hopeful, heartbreaking, and beautiful portrayal of the lengths people go to for love. When he heard her sniffle next to him, he knew she was crying, and pulled her a little closer and kissed the top of her head. He told her he loved her, and she curled a little closer to him.

"Well, well," Karen said softly when she stepped through the door. Peyton was asleep with Lucas' arm around her as he watched the day's highlights on ESPN.

"Yeah," he sighed. "Lily's been out for hours. She was great."

"How long has this one been out?" Karen asked, moving to stand behind the sofa and pointing to Peyton.

"About a half hour," he said, turning off the television.

"Why didn't you just go to bed?"

"I just wanted to make sure you got home OK," he said nonchalantly, looking up at his mother.

"My boy," she said with a smile, leaning down to kiss his forehead as she squeezed his shoulder. He was more like Keith than she ever would have imagined. "I'm off to bed. I can't stay out as late as I used to."

"It's barely midnight," Lucas chuckled. "And when did you ever stay out late?"

"Goodnight, Lucas," she said with a laugh as she started down the hall.

"'Night, mom."

OK, now he had a dilemma. He had a sleeping girl next to him, and his bedroom 25 feet down the hall. Not that he would have minded carrying her, but he wasn't crazy about the idea if it could be avoided.

He gently nudged her, then ran his hand up and down her arm, but she didn't move. She was out like a light, so he took a deep breath, smiled and shook his head, and gathered her into his arms. He carried her down the hall and carefully tugged back the covers, laying her down gently and covering her over with the blankets. The only saving grace was that she was already in her pajamas.

He tugged off his shirt and stepped out of his jeans, and as soon as he lay down next to her, Peyton moved closer and draped her arm over his stomach. He wouldn't complain about that. He just closed his eyes and got comfortable.

"You carried me," she murmured softly, then felt him laugh beneath her.

"Yeah," he whispered.

"You're so cute," she said.

She ran her hand over his stomach, then pushed herself away from him and stood from the bed. She'd rushed out the door and into the hall before he could ask her what in the world she was doing.

She returned five minutes later - just as he was about to fall asleep - with two steaming cups of cocoa, and a little plate of cookies.

"Where did you get those?" he asked with wide eyes upon seeing the perfect little gingerbread men with their white frosting smiles and buttons. All day, his mom had told him there were none, but he could smell them in the house. He had a nose for fresh baking, and he knew she'd been lying.

"I stole them for you," she whispered needlessly. "Don't tell your mom."

"My lips are sealed," he whispered back, taking a cookie off the plate. She set their mugs on the table next to the bed as he sat up against the pillows.

"This is nice," she mused, leaning against him a little bit.

"Midnight snack?"

"That. You and me. Everything," she elaborated.

"You're not overwhelmed this time?" he asked seriously. She pulled away and looked at him with a smile, and he had his answer.

"I love your family," she insisted. She wove her fingers through his before taking a sip of her drink.

He really wanted to correct her and say that it was her family too. He wanted to tell her that they loved her back, and that she was always welcome, and that Lily had told him that Peyton was her 'favourite girl'. But Peyton spoke before he could.

"And I think that you're going to look really cute in that penguin sweater someday." She looked up at him, and he smiled and shook his head with his eyes closed.

They both knew that she'd just alluded to the fact that maybe someday they'd have the child to wear that little sweater and pose for a photo with him. But he wouldn't come out and ask if that was what she meant, and she wouldn't elaborate, and that was OK. They didn't need that. The allusion was enough for him. More than enough.

So they sipped hot chocolate and ate gingerbread until after 1:00, then switched off the light and fell asleep together.

When Lucas awoke alone in his bed, he was a little unnerved. When he stepped into the kitchen to see his mom, his sister, and his girlfriend baking pies, he was pretty this was going to be the best Christmas ever.

----

Her boyfriend was a dork. It was official.

That had little to do with the fact that he'd rather read than do anything else, or that he organized his socks a certain way. It had little to do with that penguin sweater, or that he'd been 'sneaking' cookies all week - though Karen would tell Peyton that she knew what he was doing, but let him think he was being sneaky.

When he unceremoniously shook her awake at 6:30 on Christmas morning, it was all confirmed.

"No," she said simply, rolling onto her side and away from him. She didn't care what he wanted, it was too damn early.

"It's Christmas!"

"No."

"Yes, it is," he countered, though he knew that wasn't what she meant. "Come on, Peyton."

"Luke. Too early," she managed. "Your mom said 8:00."

"Please," he pleaded, pushing aside the button down shirt she was wearing and kissing the side of her neck. "Entertain me until then."

"Stop it," she protested. "Luke, please."

"I'm awake," he pointed out.

"I can see that," she said, laughing as she rolled onto her back again. "You're like a child."

"It's endearing," he insisted, and she rolled her eyes.

"What are we supposed to do for an hour and a half?" she asked. He raised an eyebrow and smirked wolfishly, and her jaw dropped. "No way!"

"Peyton..."

"No. No way. No sex on Christmas," she hissed.

"Worth a shot," he said with a shrug. He leaned over and placed a series of kisses to the column of her neck and her collar bone. "What about this?"

"Hmm."

"Or...this," he murmured, pushing up the fabric of the shirt she was wearing and letting his hand caress her stomach.

"Luke," she said. He knew it was a protest, but he didn't stop. "Stop it. Seriously."

"So what am I supposed to do?" he pouted.

"Sleep! Like a normal person!"

"But...I'm awake."

OK, so she'd admit it. It was endearing.

"We could exchange gifts now," she suggested. She was already awake, she figured, so they might as well.

"You, Peyton Sawyer, are a genius," he said, tapping her nose with his index finger.

He hopped out of bed and ventured to the closet where he'd kept her gifts, and she could only laugh at the energy he had.

She wanted a coffee. Desperately. In fact, if all he gave her for Christmas was a cup of coffee, she was pretty sure that'd be just fine with her.

She reached for the few wrapped gifts without getting out of bed. It was a bit of a struggle to get them without pushing back the covers, but she managed. She heard Lucas trying not to laugh, but when she glared at him, he got the message that perhaps he shouldn't comment.

"You go first," she said, handing him a rectangular box.

He smiled like a little boy and tore into the paper. She just rolled her eyes and shook her head. She could tell he was surprised when he pulled out the new Tar Heels tee shirt and tickets to the upcoming UNC vs. Duke game came tumbling out. She smirked to herself at her creative wrapping.

"This game sold out ages ago!" he told her needlessly.

"I know," she said with a smile. "Good thing I happen to know this guy who used to play for Duke."

"He told me he couldn't get tickets," Lucas said, studying the paper in his hands.

"I maybe made him lie," she said, raising her shoulders adorably. "And since I stole your Tar Heels shirt, I figured I should get you a new one."

"I love it," he said sincerely, leaning forward to kiss her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She smile as he handed her an immaculately wrapped box.

She tore the paper back and saw a Clothes Over Bros box, and she narrowed her eyes at him questioningly. Why would he give her something from her best friend's line?

She opened the box and her breath caught in her throat. Inside was the most perfect dress she'd ever seen. It was just..._her_. Dark green and strapless, with an interesting subtle black pattern on the fabric. It was cut above the knee, and had a tie in the back that was tasteful, and the whole thing was just perfect.

"I had her make it special," Lucas explained, recalling those sneaky conversations with Brooke.

"Are you serious?"

"She asked what I like, then added in what you like," he said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"It's...amazing," she said, in awe that he had been so thoughtful. "Thank you."

"One condition," he told her, holding up his index finger. "You have to wear it to her New Year's party when we go to Wilmington."

"Done," she promised, taking his hand in hers.

"Which one next?" he asked after a moment. They each had two more gifts to open, and he wasn't sure which to go for. Small box or big box.

"Whichever one you want," she told him.

Of course, he settled on the big box. Well, what he thought was a box.

When he peeled back the paper and held the canvas in his hands, he was speechless. She didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

There it was. The River Court. Where he'd grown up. Where he'd learned to love the game. Where he'd spent countless hours with his uncle, then his friends, then his brother, then his nephew. One of the first places they'd had one of those first serious conversations. Where they'd had their first kiss.

"Peyton." He didn't know what else to say.

"You like it?" she asked, honestly worried about what he'd think. She'd based it off both memory and a photo Haley had sent her, but she was still worried she'd missed the mark.

"Amazing," he said simply. "You're...I can't believe you." She blushed and he kissed her temple. "I love you. Thank you."

"Welcome," she replied.

"Here," he said, offering her a large, square box.

She tore back the paper, then removed the lid, only to see another box.

"You're such a geek!" she proclaimed, pulling out the smaller box as he laughed. She so should have known he'd do something like this.

Sure enough, there was a smaller box inside that one, and then another smaller box. When she opened that one, she saw the little rectangular box, and she gasped.

He did _not_ buy her jewelry. Did he?

"Luke," she said as she shook her head, afraid to see what was inside the black velvet.

"Just open it."

She did as she was told, and her hand flew to her mouth.

She'd told him ages ago - at the beginning of the school year, when they'd first started talking about more serious things - that her father had give her a silver necklace with a dove pendant when he'd come back from one of his trips. Larry had explained to her that her mother had always loved doves. She'd lost that necklace somewhere along the way, and she'd thought she'd never have anything like it again.

She really never thought Lucas would get her an exact replica.

"Lucas, this is...I'm..." There was a tear dancing in her eye as she toyed with the little bird between her fingers, and she didn't care. This was the perfect gift.

"That Saturday I said I had a study group, I drove out to see your dad," he explained, reaching out to wipe her cheek. "I showed him, and...well, his reaction was pretty much the same as yours."

He took the box from her, and motioned for her to turn around so he could fasten the necklace around her neck, and she closed her eyes as she ran her fingertips over the silver pendant.

"Thank you, so much," she said sincerely, leaning over to kiss him. "Thank you."

"Ready to revoke that 'no sex on Christmas' rule yet?" he asked teasingly. She glared at him. "No? Alright."

"Just open this," she said with a laugh, handing him his last gift.

He opened the box and started laughing. Really laughing.

It was a dark red leather-bound copy of his novel.

"What?" she asked worriedly. She didn't know whether to love or hate that he was laughing.

"Open yours," he commanded.

She tore at the wrapping of the last remaining gift, and saw a black leather-bound copy of his novel.

And she started laughing.

"Really?" she asked.

"I thought you'd like it!" he said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"OK, we know each other too well," she said, shaking her head. "Read the inside, though."

"You too," instructed.

He opened his book - _his_ book - and read;

_"Lucas,  
You've inspired me more than anything in my life. I'm so proud and honoured to be a part of this. I'll love you forever for what you've given me.  
-Peyton"_

She opened her book - _his_ book - and read;

_"Peyton,  
I don't think you know what you've done for me. You bring the best kind of safety, security, love, compassion and beauty. You're perfect, and I'm forever indebted to you for helping me finish this. You're always a part of me.  
Lucas"_

"You like it?" he asked jokingly.

"Love it. You?"

"Perfect," he insisted.

They spent the next hour cuddling in bed until Karen and Lily knocked on the door and pushed it open. Lily rushed in and jumped up onto the bed, her hair wild and unruly, and her pajamas askew.

"It's Christmas!" she chirped.

"I know!" Luke said, just as excitedly.

"I'm going to make coffee," Karen said with a laugh, both she and Peyton shaking their head at the grown man.

"What's that?" Lily asked, looking to the painting sitting atop Lucas' dresser.

"Peyton did that," Lucas explained, winking at his girlfriend. "It's my Christmas present."

"Cool! What'd you get me?" Lily asked, looking at Peyton pleadingly.

"Not telling!" Peyton insisted with a laugh. "But I'll tell you what. I'll french braid this crazy hair of yours for you before we go out there."

"OK!"

Peyton grabbed her brush and a hair elastic, and Lily told her - for the fifth time, at least - what gifts she hoped to get. Neither girl noticed Lucas reach for his camera until they heard the click of the shutter. He just shrugged his shoulder when Peyton looked over at him. It was just too cute a moment not to capture on film - both girls in their Christmas pajamas, with smiles on their faces.

When Karen called them to the living room, Peyton gravitated to the coffee cup waiting for her at the coffee table, while Lucas and Lily rushed straight for the tree and started handing out presents. Peyton was a little surprised to see that she had quite a few.

Karen had gotten her a few little things; a mug emblazoned with the Karen's Café logo that Peyton immediately loved, a sweater in a deep burgundy colour that they all knew would look great on her, and a gift certificate to the record store in Tree Hill that Peyton had loved since the first day she'd gone there.

Karen and Lily loved their gifts as well. Peyton had gotten Karen a few treatments at the nicest spa in town, recalling a conversation they'd had where Karen explained that she loved to be pampered, it just wasn't a priority with a small child and two businesses to run. Along with the gift certificate, Peyton explained that she'd come to town when Karen wanted to go to the spa, and she'd watch Lily for the day.

Peyton had Brooke create two very different - but equally as adorable - dresses for Lily. One was strictly for play, with crinoline and sparkling sequins and a matching little tiara. The second was made of red thai silk with a black sash around the waist and lace detail. It was a Christmas dress, and Karen just smiled when she saw how excited Lily was to wear it. The older woman was thrilled at how well Peyton already knew their family. Considering Lucas didn't know what Peyton had gotten anyone, Karen was pretty impressed that she'd come up with all those gifts on her own.

Nathan, Haley, Jamie and Deb came over just before lunch. Nathan loved her painting, claiming it would go in the 'office' of his house - essentially a room he had with his trophies and memorabilia on display.

Peyton made Haley a CD of all the bands and songs she thought the brunette would like, but when she opened the case, Haley was surprised to see tickets to the upcoming Sara Bareilles show in Charlotte. She and Peyton had been talking about it the week before, and the show had been sold out for ages. When Peyton called Brooke to see if she could pull any strings, Brooke managed to get her hands on tickets within the hour. There were three tickets, so they knew it was a girls' night out.

After dinner was over and the kitchen was tidied, Lucas insisted he and Peyton go for a walk. It was cool that night, so Peyton bundled up in a scarf and wool jacket, relishing in the feel of holding Lucas' hands when they were both wearing mittens.

They walked together to the River Court - where they always seemed to end up - and sat together in mostly silence on the bleachers, looking across to the downtown area and the Christmas lights, throwing twinkling reflections on the water.

And then it started snowing.

It was reminiscent of that Thanksgiving, that first night they'd taken a walk together to the old court, and they stood together in the rain. But snow was far more magical.

"Wow," Peyton whispered, looking to the sky. She hooked her arm through his and leaned into Lucas a little bit more.

"That's amazing," Lucas said softly.

"This is kind of the perfect Christmas," Peyton mused, looking up at Lucas. He leaned down and kissed her gently, and they went back to watching the flakes fall.

"First of many," he whispered, smiling to himself when Peyton kissed his cheek.

That sounded alright to her.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N:** I don't usually do this, but this chapter is for Jordan. She knows why!

**----**

A couple days after Christmas Peyton and Lucas drove to Wilmington to spend a few days with Peyton's father, Brooke, Jake, and Jenny. They'd planned to stay there until New Year's day, then head back to Chapel Hill to get ready for the start of their final semester of university.

The light dusting of snow that had fallen Christmas evening had melted completely, but it was fun while it lasted. Lily had seen snow before, during a trip to Boston the winter before, but Jamie hadn't. The two kids, along with Nathan and Lucas, had a blast with a little snow ball fight before all the snow turned to water. Peyton and Haley watched from the front porch until Nathan hit them both with balls of wet snow, then it was an all out war. Nathan and Jamie were on one team, and the girls were on the other. Lucas refused to pick sides, but secretly helped the girls make more snowballs to throw.

When they got to Wilmington, they went straight to Peyton's house, and they were surprised to find Brooke, Jake and Jenny already there and drinking hot chocolate with Larry in the living room of Peyton's childhood home.

"Hi!" Peyton cried upon seeing those four people in the room.

"Peyton!" Jenny cried, rushing towards the blonde.

"Hi, Jenny," Peyton said softly as her dad stood and kissed her temple. "Hi, dad."

"Lucas," Larry said, extending his hand. "How are you?"

"I'm doing alright," Lucas insisted. "Brooke, Jake."

Brooke stood and walked to Lucas to give him a hug, and Jake shook Lucas' hand like they had always done - not quite a secret shake, but a little outside of ordinary.

"What are you all doing here?" Peyton asked happily. "I mean, of course, I'm glad you're here. I just didn't know you were...What?"

Lucas was staring at her with a weird look on his face, and she didn't like it one bit.

"You're cute when you ramble," he stated, and everyone in the room laughed.

She didn't really like that, either.

"You want to talk cute? There's a penguin sweater story I could tell right now," she said, soft enough for only him to hear. She had one eyebrow kinked, and he raised his hands in surrender. "I thought so."

"No secrets!" Jenny proclaimed.

"Yeah. No secrets," Brooke whined, winking at the couple before them.

"Enough, now," Larry laughed. "Come sit."

Peyton sat on the sofa next to her father, and his eyes fell to the necklace clasped around her neck. He winked at her, and she smiled and almost blushed as Lucas draped his arm around the back of the sofa, sitting next to her.

She really never thought she'd be that in love.

The six of them spent hours talking and exchanging gifts. Larry ordered Chinese - he and Peyton's tradition - and Jenny laughed at Jake and Lucas' pathetic attempts to use chopsticks. Jake watched in adoration as Brooke explained to the little girl how to properly use those little pieces of wood to eat her food, then both Brooke and Peyton teased the boys that Jenny - not even six-years-old - was more coordinated than them.

Larry just liked to have a full house again.

"Why don't you kids head out?" Larry offered. "I'll take care of Princess Jenny, here."

"Yeah?" Jake asked. The older man had always given a hand when he could, and while Jake was forever grateful, he certainly didn't want to just assume he could leave his daughter there without questioning it.

"Of course," Larry said, lifting the girl into his arms. "We'll just watch cartoons and probably fall asleep on the sofa, won't we?"

"Papa Larry, you always fall asleep," Jenny said, and they all laughed.

"You do too, though," Jake pointed out, and the little girl let out an adorable giggle. "What do you guys say? Pints at the Blue Post?"

"What's the Blue Post?" Lucas asked as smiles spread on Peyton and Brooke's faces.

"The bar they all went to as teenagers, thinking I didn't know what was going on," Larry said. Peyton's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. "Chicken, you're clumsy after a couple drinks."

"I can't believe you knew!" she cries. "How cool is my dad?!"

"Well, I knew you had the Jagielski boy looking out for the both of you," Larry insisted, and Jake smiled sheepishly.

"Wait, _you_ knew he knew?" Brooke asked, turning to her boyfriend.

"I...kind of told him," Jake admitted.

"Jake!" both Brooke and Peyton shouted.

"What!? I wanted to make sure he knew I'd take care of you. I promised I'd always make sure you got home safe," Jake explained, shrugging a shoulder as Peyton shook her head.

"You see this?" Peyton said, looking at Lucas. "These men are always conspiring."

"It's what we do," Lucas said. "Now you have me and Nate."

"Probably Jamie, too," Brooke added, recalling the young boy's attention to Peyton.

"Good," Larry muttered, clapping Lucas on the back. "That brother of yours protects his family like he plays ball, and we'll have no problem."

Peyton and Lucas shared a look and both smiled.

"Daddy, Nathan protects his family a million times better than he plays ball," Peyton explained.

"Good," Larry said firmly. "Then I know you're in good hands." Peyton laughed and looked at Lucas, and he was just smiling. "I mean, with Lucas, and with...You know what I meant."

"Yes, dad," she chuckled. She leaned up and kissed his cheek, then kissed Jenny on the forehead before heading for the door.

Brooke, Jake, and Lucas were close behind, grabbing their coats and beginning the walk towards the old bar Peyton hadn't been to since the summer before. She looped her arm through Lucas', and she leaned against his shoulder. Lucas and Jake shared a look when they realized that the girls were doing the exact same action.

"So, Luke, you ready for me to school your ass at pool again?" Jake asked.

"Dude, we each won a game. You didn't exactly _school_ me," Lucas pointed out.

"No, _Peyton_ schooled you," Brooke said. "Peyton schooled you both."

"Peyton learned from the master," Jake insisted with a smirk.

"The master became the student, babe," Brooke laughed. She kissed the hurt look on his face.

When they got to the bar, they found a vacant booth and shed their jackets, ordering a pitcher of beer and pouring a round as they talked about silly things. Gifts they got and funny stories that took place at the separate Christmases they each had. Jake explained that after each gift Jenny opened, she claimed it was _'just what I always wanted'. _Peyton and Lucas showed photos of Lily in both her dresses, and Brooke beamed.

Jake continued teasing Lucas about his pool-playing abilities, and Lucas finally had enough. He stood, reached for his glass, and told Jake to put his money where it mouth was. Peyton and Brooke just laughed and shook their heads at their boyfriends.

"Broody boy did good with the gifts, huh?" Brooke pointed out.

"Jake got you a diamond necklace and a shopping spree at Macy's. Your guy didn't do so bad, either," Peyton laughed. She took a sip or her beer as Brooke toyed with the diamond pendant on her neck. "What'd you get him?"

"Um...a house?" Brooke said, pulling a face as she waited for her best friend's reaction.

"What!?"

"I...OK, it's for all of us. Me, Jake, and Jenny," Brooke explained. "And...I just hate being this commuter couple, you know? I mean, it kills me to be away from them for even a couple days."

"I know," Peyton said sympathetically.

"So I thought, you know, I have this great team of people working at the company, and I really don't need to be there in New York. I can work from here and just go to New York a few days a month."

"You bought a house," Peyton said softly, shaking her head as she smiled.

"I've never lived with a boy!"

"You'll be fine," Peyton insisted, pouring them two more drinks. "And it's way better when you're together."

"Can we now talk about what I said in the beginning?" Brooke said with a raised eyebrow, gesturing with her glass. "I told you maybe he was the one."

"After hearing that I was living with someone, you didn't know a thing about him, and you thought he was the one," Peyton stated. "Sorry I didn't exactly believe you."

"I had a feeling," Brooke said, taking a sip of her beer as Peyton laughed.

"And I told you since grade 10 that you and Jake were meant to be together, too," Peyton said.

"Too? You think you and Lucas are meant to be together? Oh my God. _You_ think he's the one. You've been dating a month, and you're going to marry him!" Brooke said, speaking so fast that Peyton had to laugh. "If you get married before me, I'll be so pissed."

"Look, we're not getting married," Peyton said. She looked across the room just in time to see Lucas smiling at her, and she took a short breath when he winked. "I mean...not...soon."

"But someday," Brooke said seriously.

Peyton looked back at Lucas, laughing with Jake as the brunette leaned down to make his shot. Lucas was sipping his beer when he caught her staring, and she could only smile again.

"Yeah," she answered simply.

Brooke didn't fail to notice that little look between the two blondes. She didn't miss that symbolic piece of jewelry on Peyton's neck or the lingering glances. She didn't miss the almost permanent smile on her best friend's face, either. Peyton Sawyer was happy, and if you asked Brooke, it was about damn time. Sure, Peyton had always been fairly content. Give or take a few horribly sad incidents in her life, she'd always come out swinging. She'd come out trying to make things good for herself. She'd never let the world keep her down.

She was a survivor. Brooke got the overwhelming feeling that Peyton was really _living_ for the first time in a long time.

"She's 60 feet away and she's still distracting me," Lucas stated, setting his beer down and readying himself to make a shot.

"They'll do that," Jake laughed. He looked over to see Brooke shooing away some college kid who'd stopped to talk to she and Peyton.

"So how are you two?" Lucas asked.

It wasn't a progress report he was looking for, he just wanted to know everyone was happy. Each time he'd hung out with Jake and Brooke, he got closer and closer to them. After Charlotte, Lucas and Jake actually started talking on the phone about once a week. They'd talk about the girls and basketball and other things that guy friends talk about. It was nice for each of them to have another male friend.

"We're pretty damn good," Jake said with a laugh. "Brooke bought us a house."

"She bought you a house," Lucas said disbelievingly as he smiled.

"Here. In Wilmington," Jake elaborated. He saw Lucas' eyes go wide, and he just laughed again. "She's going to work from here, and just go to New York when she has to."

"That's awesome, man," Lucas said sincerely. "I can't even imagine doing a long distance relationship."

"It sucks. Sucked," Jake amended. "But it's good too, for Jenny. She loves Brooke and they hardly got to see each other. You know? I'd go to New York for a weekend, and Jenny would stay with my mom and dad. I want her to have Brooke."

"She loves that little girl," Lucas stated fondly. Jenny was an easy girl to love.

"Yeah. They both do," Jake said, gesturing towards the girls with his glass. "Peyton was always great with her. Since she was born."

"That doesn't really surprise me," Lucas said. He leaned down to take another shot, smiling when he drained it. "She's been amazing with Lily and Jamie, too."

"It's weird," Jake said. "I mean, she lost her mom so young, but it's like...It's almost like it doesn't matter that she didn't get to see it all first hand with her mom. She's just a natural."

"How is it that she's so good at_ every_thing?" Lucas asked jokingly. Jake laughed and shrugged his shoulders. It was a mystery to him, too.

"So what intense conversations have you two had in a month of dating?" Jake asked with a knowing smirk.

"Nothing too crazy," Lucas said with a raised brow. "But there have been...allusions."

"To?"

"To..." He couldn't find the right word. He didn't want to retell those stories, wanting instead to keep those moments just between he and Peyton. "To someday."

The guys returned to the table after they'd played three games - Jake took the 'series', 2-1 - and they all nursed their drinks as they finalized their plans for New Years Eve. Brooke was throwing a party for the employees of her local stores, her friends and a few select family members. She'd secured a small ballroom in one of the nicest hotels in Wilmington, and everything was pretty much set.

Lucas wasn't ever really into the whole hype that came with New Years. But he really wanted to see Peyton in that dress...

----

The day before New Years Eve, Larry had to head out for another job. Peyton was sad to see him go, but she was thankful for the couple days she got to spend with him. Lucas had been great in giving father and daughter some time alone. He'd spent time with Jake one-on-one so that Peyton and Larry could go to lunch and spend a full afternoon together. Larry hadn't failed to notice how accommodating and compassionate Lucas was. He definitely liked that young man.

As soon as Larry had pulled out of the driveway, Peyton took a deep breath. She always hated this part. The goodbye was OK. She got a hug and a kiss on the cheek from her dad, and he'd tell her to 'keep safe'. They were the same two words he'd used since she was 11 years old and he left her for the first time. She'd stay with Brooke or Jake and his parents then, until she was old enough to stay home alone. He always said those same two words.

But watching him drive away was always the hardest part. Every time she saw his car disappear around the corner, she'd feel a pang in her heart. It was a little fear, a little loneliness, and when she was younger, she was sure it had been a little resentment.

But now, with Lucas standing at her side with his arm draped around that shoulder, she wasn't afraid. She wasn't lonely. There was no resentment.

She'd almost cried the day before when her dad said that he didn't worry about her so much any more, because he knew that Lucas was taking care of her. He went on to say that every father wants to feel that way about their daughter, and that maybe they really don't until their little girls find_ the one_.

He said that her mother's father had the same chat with Anna after she'd met Larry.

"You tired?" Lucas asked as they were walking back up the walk towards the house. Peyton had just yawned, but tried to hide it.

"Kind of, yeah," she said. She pushed the door open and kicked off her shoes, and she shivered. That's what happens when you go outside in December without a jacket on.

"Come here," Lucas said, pulling her into his arms and rubbing her back.

Maybe it was obvious that she needed one of those perfect hugs right then, but she was still always so touched when he gave her just what she needed without her having to say a word.

"Get your coat," he demanded.

"What?" she asked, her voice muffled as she spoke into his chest.

"Trust me. Put your coat on."

She sighed and pulled away from him, and he kissed her forehead before she tugged her jacket over her arms and wrapped her scarf around her neck.

They walked back outside, and he opened the car door for her. Her heart raced a little, just as it always did when he was chivalrous. Her dad had told her that the first time he met 'that boy', and Lucas opened the car door for Peyton, that he knew Lucas was a special one.

"You want to tell me where we're going?" she asked once they were a couple blocks away from her house. She could tell they were headed for the downtown area, but she couldn't figure out much more than that.

As much as he would have liked to keep her in the dark, he knew she absolutely hated it. He knew she was tired, too, so she'd be a little extra cranky if she didn't know what was going on.

"You remember you told me about that little bakery?" he asked.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. Of course, they were going to that little bakery. He'd told her he'd take her there, and he had yet to break any promises. She kind of got the feeling he never would.

She leaned over and kissed his cheek, and murmured a thank you in his ear.

They got to that little bakery - Lucas had talked to Brooke and learned where it was - and the woman behind the counter recognized Peyton immediately. She was at least 65, with her hair pulled up into a bun, and a pink apron on that matched the awning of the storefront. It turned out the older woman was the owner of the place.

"Margie, this is Lucas, my boyfriend," Peyton said. She never got sick of saying that. The way Lucas subtly moved his thumb back and forth as his hand rest on the small of her back told her that he never got sick of hearing it.

"Handsome," Margie said with a wink. "You from here?"

"Tree Hill, actually," he said.

"Now wait a second. You're one of the Scott boys," Margie stated with confidence.

"Yeah," Lucas said, completely confused as to how she knew that.

"My husband is a big high school basketball fan," she explained. "He's dragged me to every North Carolina state championship game since I can remember."

"Is that right?" Lucas chuckled.

"I remember the night you boys won," she said fondly.

"That's amazing," Peyton said, shaking her head. Turns out Tree Hill wasn't quite so 'off the map' after all. She noticed how bashful Lucas was. She really didn't know why he was so modest.

"Well, what can I get you, sweetheart?" Margie asked. "No, let me guess. Red velvet cupcake with a little extra frosting, and an earl grey tea."

"You remember," Peyton said with a smile.

"Of course. Same thing since you were four years old," Margie said. "Well, except the tea."

Lucas laughed and said he'd have the same, and they moved to a table by the front window to eat their treats.

"Thank you," Peyton said softly once they were seated.

"I told you I'd bring you. You came with me to watch the planes," he explained.

"I love that you keep your promises," she said, locking eyes with him.

He took her hand across the table and ran his thumb over her knuckles.

And her butterflies were back.

They sat for nearly an hour, with Lucas gushing over how damn good that cupcake was and both of them sipping their tea. Peyton reached over and wiped a bit of icing from Lucas' upper lip, and he had to take a deep breath when she licked her finger. It wasn't that she was trying to torture him - she wasn't even looking at him when she did it. She was just so damn sexy in her everyday movements. He really had no idea where she had come from, or why he was the lucky guy who got to be with her.

"I'm exhausted," Lucas said once they'd stepped into her house again and shed their jackets.

"Really?"

"I thought you were tired," he said with a smile, wrapping his arms around her.

"Well, yeah, but now that dad's gone..."

"What?" he asked when her voice trailed. He was pretty sure he knew where she was headed with this conversation.

"We just haven't been together since we left our house," she pointed out delicately. "I kind of miss you."

When she placed her hand on his chest, she felt his heart rate speed up. When she locked eyes with him, she saw that his were already shades darker. When she kissed him, she felt him grip her hips a little tighter. When she took his hand and started walking to the stairs, she heard him take a deep breath.

----

"Peyton, come on," Lucas all but whined. "We're going to be late."

"It's not even 7:00!" she called through the bathroom door. The door she'd been locked behind for the better part of an hour and a half.

He didn't expect her to get ready for this party quickly, but it was getting ridiculous. All he'd had to do was get dressed - in the black Hugo Boss suit Brooke dropped off that morning - spray a little cologne, and he was ready to go. It wasn't that he was impatient, he just really wanted to see her in her dress.

"Brooke will kill me if I don't have you there by 7:30," he reminded her, recalling the strict orders he'd received from the brunette.

"It takes 10 minutes to drive over there," she rationalized. "Calm down."

"I'm bored."

"Shut up!" she laughed. "God, you're acting like a baby."

"Peyton, seriously? It's been ages," he stated.

"It's been a few minutes. It's not like I've abandoned you," she said. "And besides, you're the one who insisted on staying up here while I get ready."

"You begged me to talk to you through the door!"

"You didn't have to do it," she told him.

"Yeah, because I can say no to you," he scoffed under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing. Are you at least _almost_ ready?"

"Five minutes, tops," she promised. "Straighten your tie or something."

"You're being patronizing," he complained.

"You're being unrealistic! Girls take a long time. Especially when they just want to look good for their boyfriends."

"You look good to me no matter what," he said. She opened the door just a crack, but didn't peek out.

"Don't start getting cute on me, or we'll never get out of here," she warned him.

He groaned and threw his head back as he paced the floor of her bedroom. There was a little music playing, but she didn't have any books there that he hadn't already read - or that he wanted to read - and he knew that if he started in on something, he wouldn't want to put it down.

So he paced.

He checked his watch one last time, and he was just about to call to her again when she stepped out of the bathroom.

And then he didn't care about how long he had to wait.

"I'm gonna hope this is a good kind of speechless," she said nervously when he hadn't said a word.

"Babe, you look..." he said, walking over to her and taking her hands in his. He didn't finish his sentence, he just blew out his breath and stared at her.

Her hair was down and in perfect curls, and she had on that amazing dress that he knew he had to thank Brooke for, for the hundredth time. Her makeup was flawless and she was wearing heels that made her the exact same height as him. They also made her legs look sexy as hell.

She blushed and looked to the floor, but he placed his index finger beneath her chin and forced her to look at him. He didn't say anything, he just kissed her gently.

"Do we have to go?" he asked quietly, brushing his lips against hers once more.

"Yes."

"I don't want to."

"Well, the sooner we go, the sooner we can leave," she promised, smiling at him.

"That's not true. We have to stay until midnight at least," he complained.

"OK," she said, pulling away from him and starting towards the door. "But I'm going to have a couple glasses of Champagne, and you're going to kiss me at midnight, and then we're going to come home."

That simple series of events were made to sound like the most perfect innuendo he'd ever heard. They were a promise that when they left the party and were alone again, he'd definitely be the one to enjoy the effects of those couple glasses of Champagne.

"Let's go," he said, pushing her gently out the door. She laughed as they started down the stairs.

The party went smoothly. Lucas was introduced to a few more of Peyton's friends from high school, and a few of Brooke's employees and Jake's musician friends.

But he couldn't take his eyes off her all night.

She'd be standing with Brooke and a couple other girls, and she'd laugh, and he'd be distracted from whatever conversation it was he was supposed to be paying attention to. She'd walk up to him and slip her hand into his, and his mind would race and he'd check his watch to see how much longer they had to stay.

Somewhere during her third glass of Champagne, it was nearing midnight, and she stole Lucas away from the basketball talk he was engaged in with a few of the men at the party. She tugged him into a secluded little corner of the room and she wrapped her arms around him.

"You look so sexy," she murmured into his ear.

"You shouldn't talk about anyone else being sexy," he insisted, looking her up and down for what felt like the millionth time that evening. "This is excruciating."

"I know," she sighed. "Brooke would kill us if we left."

"Has Peyton Sawyer ever followed the rules before?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Lucas Scott, are you suggesting we make a break for it?" Her hands moved to his sides, and he thought it amazing that she was somehow still holding her Champagne flute as she touched him.

"She's been kind of busy. She might not even notice," he said enticingly.

"Hmm." She leaned up and kissed him, and he let out a moan when she brushed up against him. "We have to stay. At least until 12:01."

"Tease."

"Don't complain about me kissing you, or I might stop doing it," she said, and they both laughed.

"Could you?"

"No," she answered honestly, making them both laugh. "But do me a favour?"

"Anything," he promised, running his thumb over her cheek.

"Stop running your hand over the back of your neck like I've seen you do fifty times tonight," she requested.

"Why?"

"The hands," she said, looking at him pointedly. He took a deep breath, and she leaned up to kiss him quickly. "Come on. Stay with me until midnight."

"Just until then?" he asked, placing his hand on the small of her back.

"You know what I mean," she scoffed. "It's only 20 more minutes."

"21 minutes and we're out of here," he said firmly.

She laughed as they walked back over to where Brooke and Jake were standing, and the four of them talked - somehow uninterrupted - until the countdown.

Confetti rained down, and the crowd cheered, and Lucas kissed Peyton like she told him to before they'd left the house. He whispered that he loved her against her lips, and she said the words back. His hand found hers as she turned to Brooke.

"We're leaving," Brooke said before Peyton could say those very words.

"Us, too," Peyton chuckled. "See you...soon?"

"Yeah," Brooke promised. "Happy New Year, P. Sawyer."

"Happy New Year, B. Davis," Peyton said as the girls embraced.

Jake and Lucas exchanged a manly hug, then Lucas wrapped his arms around Brooke as Jake hugged Peyton. They made quick and tentative, open-ended plans to go see Jake and Brooke's new house sometime in the coming weeks, and then Lucas was pulling Peyton towards the door.

"This dress is amazing," he told her as they waited for the valet to bring his car around.

"This suit is...I can't even talk about it," she said softly as she clutched his arm. He chuckled at the state she was in. Just a little buzzy, definitely craving him, and a bit more flirtatious than usual.

They got in the car and drove the short distance to Peyton's house, and Lucas was kissing her as soon as the front door was locked behind them. They somehow made it to her room, and she slid his jacket off his shoulders.

"Lucas," she said as he kissed her neck. He pulled away from her and brushed the hair from her face as their eyes locked. "I don't want to sound cheesy or anything, but...This year is going to be amazing, and I know that has everything to do with you."

"I was just thinking the same thing," he said softly. "I love you. _So_ much."

"I love you, too."

"But...can I _please_ get you out of this dress now?" he almost begged.

She just laughed as he tugged down the zipper.

It was going to be a good year.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N:** Total filler chapter. I'm aware of it. I hope you like it anyway. I just had to have something fill in the time after New Years.

**----**

If the first month of their relationship was all lovey and perfect, Lucas and Peyton would learn that the next couple were a test.

Peyton went so far as calling Brooke and telling her that everything she'd said about living with a boy had been a lie.

It _is_ bad.

It's _not_ easier when you're together.

And boys are _slobs_.

Well, slob may have been a harsh word, but she'd definitely thought it on one or more occasions.

At first it was little things. One of them would leave something laying by the door, or shirk their dish duty, and then there'd be a cute apology and an effort made to right the wrong.

But what they learned quickly was that the final semester of university was a busy one. That, right there, was just a built in excuse.

They traveled to Wilmington to help Brooke and Jake paint select rooms of the new house, and then they'd visited a few times to have dinner or watch Jenny while Brooke and Jake went on a date. Peyton was envious, for some reason, of that house. It was big and bright and it felt like a _home_. Sure, she loved she and Lucas' place, but it was a rental that they both knew they wouldn't stay in forever.

After they returned once from an overnight trip, Peyton went to their room immediately to unpack, while Lucas sat on the sofa in the living room, catching up on all the NBA game action he'd missed on the two hour drive back from Brooke and Jake's.

That wouldn't have been an issue, really, if he'd unpacked. Not even first.

Just _ever_.

Three days later, Peyton walked through the door after an afternoon class and saw that his overnight bag was still sitting there next to the shoe rack. She'd had enough. Why hadn't he just moved it already? He was a responsible guy. For the most part, he was always the one telling her she was unorganized. She was pretty much convinced that day - and hell, the three days prior, too - that he wasn't so organized, himself.

So, she took matters into her own hands.

She opened the door, picked up that bag, and tossed it onto the porch.

She actually smiled to herself when she went back into the house. Lucas wasn't home yet, so she tidied up the kitchen - it was her 'turn', though they'd been pretty lenient when it came to enforcing that rule - and started on dinner.

She heard the front door open and close just as she was checking on their dinner, then she heard her name called, so she poked her head out from the kitchen just in time to see a very puzzled looking Lucas.

"Why was my bag on the front porch?" he asked obliviously.

"Didn't think you'd miss it," she said with a shrug of her shoulders as she wiped her hands on a dish towel.

"OK?"

"It's been sitting in the same place for three days," she stated, as though he should already know that bit of news.

"I was going to move it," he insisted, picking up his things and walking towards her.

"When?" she asked, draping that towel over her shoulder and crossing her arms on her chest. She had one eyebrow raised, and a humourless grin on her lips.

He knew better than to tell her that she was the spitting image of his mother in that moment.

"I don't see why it's an issue," he said gently. "I'll take it upstairs."

"The issue is that it's unnecessary," she told him. "It shouldn't take you three days to move something."

"I'm sorry," he said, leaning forward to kiss her.

She turned her head so his lips met her cheek, and he had to set his jaw to keep himself from telling her she was being crazy. But she was. He hoped she knew that.

"Hey," he said softly, "I'm sorry."

"I heard you," she said, locking eyes with him.

"But do you believe me?" he asked with a smirk.

He knew it was a ploy. He knew she'd know it was a ploy. She was powerless to that tone of voice, and she'd told him that much - that first night together in Tree Hill after their first kisses. If he added in that smirk, it probably wouldn't hurt his cause either.

She just looked at him and tilted her head to the side slightly. They stared each other down for a few seconds before she let herself smile at him.

"Dinner's in 10 minutes," she said, pulling the towel off her shoulder.

He knew he was forgiven.

"Thanks, babe," he said. He went to kiss her again, and that time she let him.

She swatted at him with the towel as he walked away, and he just laughed before heading up the stairs.

So maybe she overreacted a bit. Maybe she could have just asked him to move his things. But she still felt that he was a grown man and he shouldn't need to be told to pick up after himself.

He did the dishes after dinner that night, and he massaged her shoulders, sitting behind her on the bed as they watched a repeat of an episode of How I Met Your Mother.

Clearly, she was reaping some rewards. Maybe he felt guilty for making her upset. She wouldn't complain about that.

Maybe she should get mad at him more often. With the amount of stuff that boy kept leaving around - books and notes, CDs and socks - she was sure they'd have those little spats often enough. If she got a massage and special treatment out of it, maybe it was a fair trade.

----

Peyton was not without her bad habits. That was for damn sure.

She was constantly putting the empty juice container back into the refrigerator, and she'd just smile cutely at him when he'd go to pour himself a glass and there'd be nothing left. She had a tendency to leave her books on the dining room table - her favourite place to study. They'd be neatly stacked and out of the way, and they didn't use that table for much anyway. But those books were still there. He wasn't sure why it bothered him.

She'd steal his cookies. It was silly. It was something he used to find adorable. But he _really_ loved his cookies. He'd bought her a separate pack once, and she kept eating his. He just resigned himself to the fact that part of the reason she did it was because she liked the thrill of actually _stealing_. So he found a new hiding spot for his own stash, giving her the illusion that she was a thief, but allowing him to still enjoy his little snack when he wanted.

He didn't think Peyton would hide things of her own.

And the things she was keeping from him were much bigger than leaving a bag on the floor or stashing away a few cookies.

He was rummaging through the closet one day, looking for one of his tee shirts she must have stolen, when he came upon a box on the top shelf among a bunch of her things. He didn't want to open it. He really didn't. It was technically her room, though they always called it theirs, and he didn't want to disrespect her privacy.

But he really wanted to know what was in that box.

He waited 10 minutes, debating just opening it and looking for himself. Hell, it could have been art supplies! But...why would she hide art supplies in the back of her closet when she had basically a whole room for them?

He took that box in his hands and walked down the stairs and into the dining room, where she'd been studying since he came home.

"Hey," he said. She looked up at him, and her face fell when she saw what he was holding.

"Why do you have that?" she asked worriedly.

"I just found it," he explained, trying not to sound too cold.

"You were going through my things?" she asked incredulously.

"No. I was looking for a shirt, and I found this. I didn't open it," he told her.

She stood from her place and took the box from his hands before returning to her books. She set the box next to her on the table, and she didn't say another word.

"What's in the box, Peyton?" he asked delicately.

But it was really hard to be delicate when she was obviously being so evasive.

"It's...personal stuff," she said softly.

"Hey," he said, taking the seat next to her. "That's...that's not really a good enough answer."

"Don't push this, Luke," she warned him, avoiding eye contact.

"You're freaking me out," he stated.

"You'll be mad," she said. "I don't want you to be mad."

"I just kind of want to know what's going on now," he said, placing his hand on her back.

"You're going to be mad," she whispered, more to herself than to him. But she still pulled that box towards them and set it in front of him, and gave him a look to let him know that he could open it if he wanted to.

She could tell right away that he was less than impressed. He took a breath, and his posture stiffened, and he wouldn't look at her.

Inside that box were drawings and photographs of she and Julian together, and her and another boy Lucas didn't recognize. There were a few movies that he assumed Julian had somehow been a part of. There was a beaded necklace and a couple silly things, like a guitar pick and a couple movie stubs. His heart nearly stopped when he came across a little silver ring.

Clearly, this was a box of mementos of past relationships.

And he really didn't like that she still had it.

"Why do you have this?" he asked, turning to look at her.

"You know I don't throw anything out," she said, shrugging one shoulder.

"Don't...don't try to joke," he insisted. "Why?"

"You don't keep any of your stuff? You have nothing from Lindsey?" she asked, for some reason silently pleading for him to say yes, he did.

"No," he said harshly. "I don't. After someone breaks your heart, you're supposed to throw this stuff away."

He wasn't lying. As soon as he and Lindsey broke up, he erased all traces of her from his house. Any clothes she left, he donated to Goodwill. Photos were thrown in the trash, and emails were deleted. He hadn't come across anything of Lindsey's since about a month after they broke up.

"Luke..."

"And who the hell is _this_ guy?" he asked, holding up a photo of her in her cheerleading uniform, and a boy in his basketball uniform. The very same boy that's in a lot of other photos in that box.

"Shane," she said, almost a whisper. He was mad.

"Shane?"

Why hadn't he heard of Shane? How could they be in a serious relationship with one another when he didn't know her whole dating history? Come to think of it, she didn't know his either. He really didn't know how they hadn't had those conversations.

"High school boyfriend," she explained with a shrug. "I don't want you to be mad."

"I don't want you to have pictures of your ex-boyfriend - sorry,_ boyfriends_ - in your closet," he said bitterly. "Guess that's just too bad for both of us."

"Lucas," she called when he stood from his place.

"How long are you gonna keep it, Peyton?" he asked dejectedly. "Until you meet the right guy and don't have to reminisce anymore? How many pictures of me are gonna be in there?"

"Lucas," she said again. There were tears dancing at the edge of her eye, and she really hated herself. She should have kept that stuff. She was to blame for all this. "You know that's not..."

"Not what?" he asked shaking his head. She couldn't say anything, and he took that as a bad thing. He just let out a bitter laugh and grabbed his jacket on his way to the door.

"Where are you going!?" she called after him, standing from her seat and following him. "Don't just walk out."

"I need...I need to..."

"Not be around me," she finished sadly.

"That's what happens when you keep secrets," he said coldly.

"I'm _sorry_," she said, shaking her head. "Please stay. We'll talk."

"Peyton...I...I can't," he said, unable to even look at her.

If he was mad before, he was downright angry now. And disappointed. And _hurt_.

"Why...why does it feel like we're breaking up right now?" she asked, her voice breaking as she tried to hold back her tears.

"Why _doesn't_ it feel like you've broken up with _them_?" He brought his eyes up slowly to meet hers, and it almost broke his heart to see the tear fall down her cheek.

"Luke..."

"I'll be back later."

"Luke!" she called.

And then the door slammed.

----

She waited an hour. Well, she cried for an hour, wondering what the hell had just happened. He was right, probably, but a conversation with Brooke told her that all girls keep those little mementos. A conversation with Jake told her that they shouldn't, and Lucas had every right to be pissed.

After that hour, she started to get worried. He hadn't said they weren't breaking up. Why hadn't he said they weren't breaking up? God, could they be breaking up? Where was he? Why wasn't he home yet?

She kicked herself for a lot of reasons. She had freaked out at him for even mentioning Lindsey's name, and then he had to come across a box of photographs of her with other guys. She could tell him that she'd forgotten it was there, but it'd be a lie.

And she really, honestly, didn't know why she was hanging onto it.

She dialed his number after an hour and a half, knowing that he wouldn't answer, but that he'd listen to a message if she left one. She just knew that.

"Luke, I know you're mad, OK? And...you should be. It was so, so stupid of me to keep that stuff, and...I'm going to throw it away. I love _you_, and you're...You'll never be in an ex-boyfriend box. You _know_ that. Just...come home, OK? I love you."

But he didn't come home. Not right away, anyway.

She waited another two hours, laying on the sofa in the dark, no music playing and nothing on TV, with just a blanket covering her. She was sleeping when he walked through the door at 11:30, and he immediately felt guilty. He knew she'd tried to wait up for him. That was just about the sweetest thing, somehow.

He knelt next to the sofa and brushed a lock of hair from her face. He watched as she stirred, took a deep breath, and her eyes fluttered open.

"Hi," he whispered, running his hand over her shoulder and down her back to rest on the curve of her waist.

"You came home," she mumbled groggily.

"Of course, I did," he said. "This is where you are."

"You left," she said.

He resisted the urge to laugh. She was always so adorable right after she woke up. She was just saying things that came to might. And sure, he came back, but she was right. He'd had to leave to do it. He'd been feeling awful about it since he'd slammed that door closed behind him hours earlier.

"I know," he said softly.

She took his hand in hers and avoided his eyes, but he knew there was something more going on. He'd figured it out while sipping a beer at that old court she'd shown him months ago.

She once told him that people always leave. It was way back before they'd even started dating, and he didn't really know what that meant, so he didn't really know what to say in response. Her keeping that box of things was, somehow, he thought, just her way of proving her theory to be true. _People always leave, and here's how I know_.

"But sometimes when people leave, it's not for good," he said, brushing his thumb over her knuckles. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

He assumed she already knew the answer, but he'd tell her anyway.

"I promise," he assured her. "But that box is."

She laughed weakly and nodded her head. He leaned over and kissed her softly, and she let herself smile.

"I already threw it out," she said.

"OK," he whispered. He climbed up onto the sofa and lay down with her, pulling her into his arms as tightly as he could. "I have an idea. Let's make our own box."

"Don't make fun of me," she warned him.

"I'm serious," he said with a chuckle. He kissed her temple and pulled her a little closer. "We'll put all sorts of things in there."

She didn't say anything, and he took it as a good sign. He really wasn't joking. He wanted that box to look back on in the future. He wanted their kids - when they had them - to be able to look at photographs of their parents as kids. Well, young adults.

That was the thing he'd realized most quickly when he'd left that evening. He asked himself if he could see himself without her, or if he could see himself with someone else.

He couldn't. He really couldn't. It hurt him to even try.

He wanted shoeboxes full of memories, and to lay with her on the sofa. He wanted rings, eventually, and kids, and a home with her.

This was just an argument that they'd get over, he realized, and he had to go home to end it.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Me, too," he said. "We'll talk later, OK?"

"OK." She went to move, but he wouldn't let her.

"Just lay with me, OK?" he requested. She pressed her lips to his chest, though it was covered by his shirt, and she didn't argue.

They fell asleep on the sofa that night, and neither cared when they woke up in the morning with sore necks. They'd weathered their first fight - their first really big argument - and they needed to be together like that.

They spent almost all of the next day talking about everything. Dating histories, and her reasons for keeping those old photographs. She explained that silver ring was a pinky ring that Julian gave her after a trip to the beach, and it was symbolic of nothing. He told her about her on again/off again high school girlfriend, and a girl he dated briefly - very briefly - after he and Lindsey broke up.

It was long overdue, they realized, and they promised to tell each other everything from that point on. They'd ask each other questions and not be afraid of the answers.

They came out of that argument stronger than before, and Peyton told him that was just about the healthiest thing she could think of.

They also started gathering photos and keepsakes for that box of theirs.

----

"Come on, Peyton. It's March Madness!" he said enthusiastically.

She was sitting on the sofa in just a pair of jeans and a tee shirt, and he was excited, to say the least. One of his classmates had just called with two extra tickets to the game that night, and he was begging Peyton to go with him.

It wasn't that she didn't want to go, she was just exhausted.

"I promise it'll be fun," he said, sitting down next to her and turning his body towards hers.

"Sitting on the sofa in my pajamas is fun, too," she retorted.

"You aren't even in your pajamas yet," he said, almost pouting.

She could see how excited he was. He was like a little boy. He was in the Tar Heels shirt she gave him at Christmas, and he was smiling widely, and his leg was bouncing up and down in anticipation of going to watch that game between UNC and Wake Forest.

"Please come?" he asked pleadingly.

She couldn't say no. She just couldn't.

"Promise me you'll make it worth my while?" she requested, her tone seductive as she jokingly batted her lashes.

"Promise me you'll console me if UNC loses?"

They both laughed, and she leaned forward and kissed him. He was pretty sure that he had his answer.

"I'll go change my shirt," she said.

He knew damn well she was going to put on that baby blue shirt she took from him ages ago, and he wasn't about to complain about that.

He sat on the sofa, flipping through channels and checking the time almost constantly, waiting for her to step back down the stairs so they could head over to the arena and catch a bit of the pre-game party with his buddies.

"Hey, Luke! Hair up or down?" she called down the stairs.

"Whatever you want!" he called back. "Down?"

"I was going to put it up!"

"Then put it up!" he shouted with a laugh.

"But you like it down better?!"

"I like it when we don't talk about it for five minutes!" he shouted, just as she started walking back down the stairs.

She looked amazing. She'd pulled her hair up into a ponytail, fastened with a light blue ribbon that he had no idea she even owned. She was wearing his shirt with just the front tucked into her jeans, and the sleeves rolled up a couple times. She had her jeans tucked into her black suede boots, and she was pulling her jacket over her arms.

"Come on," she said, walking towards the door.

"Whoa, hang on," he said, grabbing her arm and pulling her back to him. "You look sexy."

"You always look sexy," she said seductively.

Screw basketball, he was ready to spend the entire night at home with her.

"Let's go before I change my mind about this stupid game," he said, pushing her towards the door.

She turned at the last second and leaned in to kiss him passionately, and he groaned when she pulled away and stepped through the open door.

"I hate it when you do that," he grumbled, following behind her.

"Do you?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, slipping her arm through his as they walked down the front steps of their house.

"Well, no," he admitted, smirking at her. "But please tell me you have more of that for later."

"I'm sure I could work something out if the right guy came along," she teased, making him laugh.

"And what is the right guy like?" he inquired. A call came to his phone, but he ignored it after checking the caller ID. No one was more important than his girl. Besides, it was one of the guys they were meeting, and they'd talk soon enough.

"About 6'2", blonde, blue eyes, _really_ cute," she said. "Why? You know anyone?"

He just let out a laugh and shook his head, and he pulled her a little closer. He whispered that he loved her, and she slipped her hand into his for the rest of the walk to the arena.

Peyton had spent quite a bit of time with Lucas' friends since the two of them got together. There were a few guys Lucas frequently took in both college and NBA games with, and they'd been over to the house before, since Nathan had generously paid for all the sports channels available so Lucas could watch his games.

That night, there was a group of 10 people together for the game. Peyton was one of two girls. And she didn't know the other girl. Lucas kept on shooting her glances to make sure she was OK, and she'd just smile back or wink at him. And he had to admit, the girl could hold her own. Sure, a lot of the stats and basketball talk she spoke was just secondhand from her boyfriend, but every once in a while, she'd shout about attacking the gaps or driving the lanes, and even Lucas was impressed.

To her surprise, after the win when everyone was going to grab a drink at a local bar, Lucas insisted that he and Peyton had to get going. They said their goodbyes and started walking in the opposite direction of their friends.

"What's with the quick exit?" she asked. "I thought you'd want to celebrate. Final Four!"

"That was awesome, wasn't it?" he said, shaking his head. It wasn't exactly unexpected, since UNC was the second seeded team before the playoffs even started, but Wake Forest was a tough team.

"Great game."

"And yes, I do want to celebrate," he said.

There was a timbre in his voice that she recognized immediately. Just a little playful, that deep, sexy tone. It was almost as though only he knew what was about to happen, and he fully intended on torturing her a little and making her wait to find out exactly what he had in store.

She had a pretty good idea.

As they walked back up the steps of the house, Peyton pulled Lucas' keys from his pocket, making him take a sharp breath and her giggle. She turned her back to him to unlock the door, and he pressed his chest to her back, resting one hand on her hip and the other on the door frame.

"I think I may have found the right guy for you," he said, speaking into her ear before kissing the hinge of her jaw.

"I think I may have found him, too," she insisted, pushing open the door.

She walked in ahead of him, but he was close behind.

That was kind of the way things always went. Her just a pace ahead, and him following her anywhere she went.

But with her turning in his arms and grabbing fistfuls of his shirt at his sides, walking backwards towards the stairs, he couldn't say that following her was a bad thing.

At all.

It had worked out pretty well so far.


	24. Chapter 24

Graduation was quickly approaching. A little _too_ quickly, considering it was something they'd been wishing for all year.

And no matter how long they'd been wanting school to be over, and no matter how many conversations they had in the months they'd been together, they still had no clue what they were going to do.

Lucas had finished writing his novel, and Peyton had a body of work to show for her schooling, but neither knew where to go from there. Lucas had sent his finished manuscript to a few publishers, and Peyton had shown her art to a few gallery curators, but it was a half-hearted effort stemming from the knowledge that if they really started getting successful, they might be taken away from each other by it. Lucas would be traveling, or Peyton would have to move to be near a gallery.

And they just weren't ready for that yet.

So they kind of pushed all that aside, coming to an unspoken agreement that they'd just deal with it all if and when it happened. She had faith in his book, and he had faith in her art, and whatever was going to happen, they'd figure it out together.

The entire drive home from school, all Peyton could think was that her day would have gone better if it hadn't sucked so bad.

That that statement didn't make any sense at all was pretty much an indicator of how horribly her day had gone.

It was her last official portraiture class of the semester, which meant peer reviews.

Which meant classmates commenting on your work.

Now, Peyton wasn't too worried about it. She was actually pretty confident. Her portrait - one she'd submitted of her favourite athlete, Nathan Scott (so, she may have been biased) - was good. It was really good, actually. Good enough that her professor had spoken to the athletic department over at Duke, and they asked if they could buy the painting from her.

Of course, she had said yes. And then the sum they offered her was quite high; higher than she had thought it'd be.

So the problem wasn't someone else critiquing her work.

The problem was that she was called upon to critique what was, by far, the worst portrait in the room.

And she couldn't lie.

She tried to be as delicate as possible, and focus on the positives, but it was just really hard to do. And of course, the artist didn't appreciate the unfavourable review. Which was understandable.

However, the verbal sparring, and the personal insults, and the horrible things that the girl said back to Peyton weren't appreciated. And Peyton wasn't having any of it; she was far too stubborn to just sit back and take it. She backed her critique with technical explanations and tried her best to ignore the insults. The other girl was eventually asked to leave the class, but Peyton still felt awful. She felt like she was being bogged down by that girl's negative energy and perspective.

She just wanted to go home to her boyfriend, have a glass (or two) of wine, sit on the sofa, and have him make her feel better. She knew he would. He always did.

He was almost done his classes. He had just two more exams to write, but other than that, he had all but graduated. He had the day off, and he'd promised to have dinner ready when she came home from what was her longest day on campus.

When she stepped through the door, she was surprised, and a little scared, to see him sitting on the sofa in a deadly quiet house, staring straight ahead with his cell phone closed in his hand.

"Luke?" she said softly. He didn't move an inch. "Luke, what's wrong?"

She sat next to him, placing one hand on his thigh and the other on his shoulder in what she hoped was a comforting way. She really wasn't sure. She was just as rattled as he evidently was.

"Hey," she said, forcing him to look at her. "You're scaring me."

"I'm...I..."

"How long have you been sitting here? Tell me everything's OK," she pleaded worriedly.

"Yeah. OK. It's OK. It's...great. Better than great," he rambled, finally smiling.

Suddenly, with Peyton next to him, his news felt real. His dream was coming true, and he needed her at his side for that to really sink in.

"What?" she asked desperately.

"I got a call from a publisher," he said, smiling when her hand flew to her mouth and her eyes went wide. "They're publishing my novel."

"Luke!" she cried, throwing her arms around him.

She couldn't say anything more, and neither could he, so they just stayed like that, embracing on the sofa, for what may have been 10 minutes. Until Peyton started to cry.

"Hey," he said softly. "Come on."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, drying her cheeks. "No. I'm _not_ sorry. I'm...so proud of you."

"It's all because of you," he insisted, taking her face in his hands when she shook her head in disagreement. "It is. You made me finish it. You're...my muse."

"Shut up," she laughed tearfully.

"I will not," he said, leaning forward and kissing her gently. "It's true."

"OK," she conceded.

She wouldn't argue with him, because really, she didn't know what to say. She had no clue. The fact that she was crying and had shouted his name and thrown herself into his arms said all she needed to say. And maybe she _was_ his muse. He'd written her into his book, and his story ended with them together.

And just maybe he was her muse, too.

"I made dinner," he told her, tucking a curl behind her ear. "Nothing fancy, but..."

"I don't care," she said, grabbing his collar and moving towards him again. She brushed her lips against his softly. "I'm so in love with you, it's not even funny."

He had to try really hard not to laugh. She'd just said it wasn't funny.

"I love you, too," he said simply.

He reached for her hand and pulled her up off the couch, and the two enjoyed a candlelit dinner, over which Lucas filled Peyton in on all the details of the offer he'd received.

The publisher was based in Raleigh, so even when he had to travel for meetings - like he would be the week after classes officially ended - he would just take day trips. The sum they threw out at him for the proposed advance was enough to make Peyton's jaw drop, and Lucas still wasn't able to believe it. He told her he'd been sitting on the couch for 45 minutes when she came home, and that it didn't really feel like it was happening until he told her.

She hung on his every word, and she was sure the smile didn't leave her face.

She couldn't even remember what had her so upset earlier in the day.

Later that evening, she sat in the dining room in her pajamas with an open bag of Skittles, attempting to study, while Lucas called his family and told them the news. He called Brooke and Jake, and Peyton was distracted - well, more distracted - as she eavesdropped on that conversation and then took a few minutes to talk to her two best friends.

When they went to bed that night, Peyton told him again how proud she was of him, and he really felt like he might cry.

He just held her a little closer, and he thanked her for what felt like the thousandth time.

"You're going to be a published author," she said through the darkness, turning onto her side so she was facing him.

"I know," he said softly. It was still sinking in. Her saying that for at least the tenth time that night was helping a little.

"That's so amazing and...God..._sexy_," she said, placing her hand on his chest.

"Sexy, huh?" he asked, his voice low. He placed his hand on her hip as he rolled onto his side, and he brushed her nose with his.

"Uh huh," she murmured. "And if I didn't have a final tomorrow, I'd totally..."

"Congratulate me?" he suggested seriously.

"Yes. But...final at 11:00. So...goodnight," she said, turning away from him.

She just giggled when he groaned and kissed her shoulder. He pulled away a little bit - out of necessity, she assumed - and took a deep breath.

"Hey, Peyton," he said after a moment.

"Hmm?"

"I'm glad I get to experience all this with you," he said, and she rolled onto her back again. "I can't imagine doing this with anyone else."

"You better not," she warned teasingly.

"I love you."

"I love you, too." She moved toward him again, and he opened his arm so she could rest against his chest. "My sexy author boyfriend."

All four of those descriptors made him feel pretty damn good.

----

Peyton's graduation ceremony was the day before Lucas'.

She really didn't expect to have the same amount of visitors as he did.

Karen and Lily came from Tree Hill, and Nathan, Haley, and Jamie were there. Of course, Peyton's dad was there, and Brooke and Jake came in with Jenny.

She was totally overwhelmed.

Only Karen and Lily were staying at the house, since everyone else had gotten hotel rooms. The first night - the night before Peyton's ceremony - everyone came over for dinner, which ended up just being pizza, with so many mouths to feed.

It was the first time Larry was meeting Lucas' family members, and he couldn't say it was difficult. Obviously, he'd heard countless stories, and he was quite fond of Lucas, but meeting those people who were now so important to his daughter was a pretty great experience. He could see why she was so enamored with them.

Peyton excused herself after a while and went upstairs, and when Lucas followed her moments later, he found her crying in their bedroom.

"Hey," he said worriedly, kneeling in front of where she was sitting at the edge of the bed.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm such a girl."

"That's kind of a good thing," he said jokingly, making her laugh through her tears. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she answered quickly, shaking her head. "Really. Nothing."

"You're crying."

"I just didn't think they'd all come for me," she said softly after a moment.

It wasn't a lie, obviously.

Sure, she was close with Lucas' family, but every time she was around them, she was reminded that maybe they loved her like she loved them. They looked out for her, and they treated her well, and they were so good to her that it was almost hard to believe. It was definitely hard to believe.

"Of course, they would," he said, smiling at her. He moved to sit next to her, and he wrapped his arm around her. "This reminds me of Thanksgiving."

"Me crying over something silly?" she said, bringing her hand to her face to wipe her cheeks.

"It's not silly," he insisted. "They just love you."

He rest his hand on the side of her face, and she moved her head to kiss the inside of his wrist.

"Ugh! I'm such a mess."

"No you're not," he said, turning to face her. He brushed her cheek with the pad of his thumb as he smiled at her. "Beautiful."

"You're something else, you know that?"

"Good way or bad way?" he asked, furrowing his brow at her. He already knew the answer, and she rolled her eyes at him as she sniffled.

"Good way," she said.

"You ready to go back down?"

"Yeah," she said, though she didn't move. He kissed her quickly, then winked once they'd parted and stood. "Do I look like I've been crying?"

"No," he promised. "You look like you've been making out, though."

She laughed, which was his objective, and he kissed her temple as he pulled the door open.

"We weren't even," she said needlessly.

"Let 'em think what they want," he said nonchalantly.

"You realize my dad's down there," she stated. She could only laugh when he shrugged his shoulder.

"He loves me," he stated with confidence.

Actually, Lucas and Larry spoke on a fairly regular basis. Peyton didn't know it, but the two men would talk once every week or two. Lucas would call to let Larry know that Peyton was doing alright, since they both knew that Peyton wouldn't express any of her fears to her father, not wanting to worry him. Not that Larry really had anything to worry about, but Lucas liked to give reassurance that he was taking care of her.

Larry didn't really need that reassurance - he could tell Lucas would do anything for Peyton - but it was still nice to get those phone calls.

Larry was finding it harder and harder to believe that the two kids had only just met that year. It felt like Lucas had been around forever, and he honestly couldn't remember his daughter before she had Lucas with her.

He did know that she'd smiled a lot less, though.

----

"Lucas Scott, are you even _capable_ of picking up your damn socks?!" Peyton shouted up the stairs.

It had been a week since everyone left, and there were only two weeks left on the lease for their house.

Peyton was almost certain they'd find enough of his socks hidden in that house when they were packing, that he'd never have to buy another pair in his life.

She'd started on a little bit of it, the packing. She didn't want to put anything away that she knew she'd need in the coming weeks. As it turned out, she was pretty sure she'd need most of her stuff in the coming weeks. That may have just been reluctance to actually start putting things into boxes.

Lucas was in the early stages of editing his novel, after having Nathan's contract lawyer go over the legalities of his book deal and ensuring that everything was legitimate. Both Peyton and Lucas let out sighs of relief when they were told everything was fine.

He signed his name on the dotted line, and he met his editor that very same day. Seth was a nice guy, about 35, with over 10 years in the business. He assured Lucas that the novel just needed a little tweaking, and not a massive overhaul. Lucas said that he wouldn't have signed the contract if they had wanted to do an overhaul, and Seth had laughed, and said _'good.'_

"Sorry!" he called back down to her.

"Sorry works once or twice, not_ one hundred_ times! I won't ask again!" she yelled.

"What are you gonna do?" he asked with a laugh as he walked down the stairs. "Throw out my socks? Sweetheart, that wouldn't be nice for anyone."

"Seriously, it's gross," she said hotly, putting one hand on her hip and pointing to the little pile of socks sitting next to the coffee table.

"I'll take care of it," he promised, stepping towards her and putting his hands on her hips. "You think you're making such a big deal about these things lately because you know..."

"What?" she asked.

"Well, we aren't going to be living together much longer."

And there it was. The black cloud that had been hanging over them. He was going back to Tree Hill, and she was going back to Wilmington, and neither of them wanted to be apart. It felt like a huge step backwards in their relationship, and it was a step neither wanted to take.

"You think you being a slob and me pointing it out has something to do with my anxiety over us being torn apart?" she asked incredulously.

"Peyton," he said, laughing softly, "we aren't being torn apart." He kissed her forehead gently, and felt her relax a little bit. "And you just admitted there's anxiety."

"Of course there is!" she cried, throwing her hands in the air as she stepped away from him. "You're going to go to Tree Hill and write, locked away in your bedroom, and I'm going to go to Wilmington, where there's nothing waiting for me!"

"Hey," he said, his brow furrowed, "your dad is there."

"He's never home, Lucas," she said, willing herself not to cry. "And...I just want to be with _you_."

He pulled her into his arms and kissed the crown of her head. He knew she hated to cry, and that she really only ever did it when there was something big going on. Maybe it was wrong of him to let himself feel a little happy that she'd let herself cry over him and the prospect of them being apart, but he loved that she felt so strongly about it. About _them_.

And then he found himself thinking that he just wanted them to be together, too. That was a given, of course, and no matter how close their two hometowns were, not sleeping in the same bed with her or coming home to her just sounded like the worst idea in the world.

So the words were flowing from his mouth before he could stop them.

"Let's buy a house."

She pulled away from him quickly and looked at him with complete shock written on her face.

But, he noticed, when he reached for her hands, she didn't pull them away. She just wove her fingers through his.

He wondered if that was her answer, before she'd even said the words.

"What? We can't...What?" she asked, shaking her head slightly.

"It makes sense," he insisted, leading her to sit on the sofa with him. "We could be in Tree Hill or Wilmington. Or halfway in between or something."

"Lucas..."

It was a weak protest, because his suggestion made more sense than anything she'd come up with. Weekends and daily visits and half hour drives several times a week. None of those things were as good as living with him, that much she knew.

"I'm being serious," he said. "I have a bit left in my trust fund, and I have the advance coming through...we can figure it out. I just...this makes sense, Peyton. For _us_."

"Are you serious?" she asked.

"I just said I was," he laughed.

"I'm just...wow."

"If you don't want to, that's fine. I know that it's out of the..."

She cut him off when she leaned forward and kissed him, letting her hands cup his cheeks.

"I love you," she murmured once they'd parted. "My genius boyfriend with all the brilliant ideas."

He just laughed before leaning in to kiss her quickly.

Both of them were trying to figure out why they hadn't thought of it sooner.

"Really? You want to do it?" he asked needlessly. The way she'd just kissed him had pretty much proven everything.

"Yeah," she said softly, smiling as she nodded her head. "I love you. Like...way more than I should."

"More than you should, huh?" he asked with a chuckle. "Well then I guess it's a good thing I love you back."

"_Very_ good thing," she said, nodding as she leaned forward and kissed him again.

----

Brooke and Jake visited to, generously, help pack and load furniture before Lucas and Peyton left their little house in Chapel Hill. Well, Jake helped move furniture, and Brooke helped organize clothing and pack kitchen gadgets and...well, whatever else she was needed to do, aside from lifting anything heavy.

Lucas and Peyton had told everyone that they intended to buy a house, and everyone had been supportive. However, Peyton had seen a look on Brooke's face that she knew no one else would have noticed. They'd visited that big house in Wilmington to share their news with the other couple, and Peyton had yet to really talk to Brooke one on one since that day. It wasn't a conversation she wanted to have over the phone; Peyton knew that she needed to speak to her best friend in person to gauge Brooke's reaction.

"So, tell me the truth," Peyton said as they packed up the guest bedroom and the linen closet housed there.

"About what?" Brooke asked absently, folding a few towels and placing them in a box.

"About Lucas and I buying a house," Peyton elaborated.

"You told me that news, like, two weeks ago," Brooke reminded her friend.

"Yeah, but I know there's something that you want to say, that you aren't saying," Peyton said, putting a hand on her hip.

"And why do you think that?" Brooke asked softly, toying with the corner of the duvet of the bed. She was avoiding eye contact. That was pretty telling.

"Because I know you, Brooke Davis," Peyton said simply. "Tell me."

Brooke took a deep breath and pushed the door closed, then reached for Peyton's hand and the two of them sat on the end of the bed. Peyton was scared.

"OK, I know...You're...You and Lucas are amazing together and everything, but...You're moving in with him," Brooke stated.

"I've been living with him for 9 months," Peyton said, furrowing her brow in confusion.

"This is different," Brooke said, shaking her head. "It's..._buying_ a _house_."

"You just did the same thing," Peyton pointed out.

"No. _I_ bought a house. You're buying a house _together_."

"I'm not following," Peyton said.

"OK, how do I put this delicately?" Brooke asked herself. "So, say Jake and I break up..."

"You won't."

"I know that, but hypothetically," Brooke said, making them both laugh. "So, Jake and I break up, he moves out. The house is technically mine, and he'd be the one to leave. There's no real grey area there."

"OK?"

"OK, Peyton," Brooke started, turning towards her friend, "If you and Lucas break up - which I'm totally not saying you will - but if you do, then what?"

"That's not a problem I think we're going to have," Peyton said.

"No, I know," Brooke conceded. "But if you do, I mean, looking at this rationally, then...then what? You own a house together. It'll be like a divorce. It'll be like The Break-Up!"

"Brooke..."

"No, you're right. Lucas is way hotter than Vince Vaughan, and no offense, but Jennifer Aniston is _way_ more fashionable than you," Brooke said, making Peyton laugh. "But she was an artist in that movie! And her name was Brooke!"

"OK. But also, Lucas and I aren't breaking up," Peyton stated confidently.

"Peyton, no one _thinks_ they're going to break up," Brooke pointed out. "And I'm not trying to be a bitch, I'm just...I want you to know what you're getting yourself into."

"I'm making an investment in my future with a man I'm pretty sure I'm going to end up with forever," Peyton said.

As soon as she'd said it, it sounded really intense.

But in a good way.

Peyton wasn't ever really one to plan our her future, or even really talk about it at all. Her last serious relationship, she and Julian didn't plan anything more than a month in advance. It was clear this relationship was far more healthy, strong, and balanced than any other she'd been in.

"OK. I'm just going to shut up, because I've never heard you talk like that, and clearly I have nothing to worry about," Brooke said, making them both laugh as they stood and resumed their work.

They worked in silence for about another ten minutes, with each of them thinking of the conversation they just had, and the changes that were about to come. Good changes.

And then Brooke broke the silence.

"If you two get married, I better be maid of honour. No picking Haley just because she's _family_."

Peyton just laughed and shook her head, and crossed the room to wrap her arm around her friend, and assured her that no one else could ever be her maid of honour.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N:** My internet at home is down. Again. (Seriously, so frustrating). So, I don't know if I'll be able to post this weekend. Because of that, you get this a day early.

**----**

After their lease was up, they moved from Chapel Hill to Tree Hill, put their furniture and personal things in a storage locker, and lived in Karen's house until they could find the perfect little home for themselves.

Lucas should have known Peyton would be so particular with the home she lived in. He teased her about moving in with him so quickly at the beginning of the school year - barely looking at the house. She told him she was busy looking at him, and he called her a liar and they both laughed, knowing that they hadn't taken the time to look at each other in the beginning.

They'd settled on living in the little town. Well, 'settled' probably wouldn't be the right word. Peyton insisted on it, and Lucas just smiled and gathered her in his arms. He loved that she loved his town as much as she did. She cited family and that small town feel for her desire to live there. Karen and Lily had been thrilled.

But the selection of homes for sale in the town was slim. The places were either too big or too small, or too new or too old.

And they had seen ever house that was on the market. Every style, every neighbourhood, every colour, every....

Every house.

Lucas was ready to just find a place already. They'd talked about expanding their search location to anything between Tree Hill and Wilmington. They'd thought of narrowing their search criteria. Maybe they didn't need a garage or more than one bedroom, or...The only problem with that was that they didn't want to settle. This was a huge investment - both monetarily and for their relationship - and they didn't want something that wasn't perfect.

And then they found the two story house at a secluded end of the beach, and he could tell by the look on Peyton's face that it was their house.

It was three bedrooms and miraculously in their price range. It was explained that the house had been reduced for a speedy sale, since the couple that had lived there were leaving the country. There was a bright, airy kitchen and a dining room and living room on the main floor. The upstairs of the house had a master bedroom and ensuite bathroom, and two smaller rooms, with another bathroom down the hall.

"Lucas," Peyton said, her eyes pleading as they stood on the back porch overlooking the ocean.

"Could you give us a minute?" he requested to their realtor, who nodded and stepped back inside.

"I love it," Peyton said quickly. "Like...I _love_ it."

"It needs a little work," he told her seriously, trying to be rational.

He knew that if she wanted this house, this house was the one they'd live in. He - well, they - would do the work and fix the place up. They'd paint the walls and make it their own.

And maybe he was the only one thinking it, but he definitely liked the idea of having more than one bedroom. Sure, they had been looking for two bedrooms, but having three just felt like even more of an investment in their future. Should they have children - well, when they had children - they wouldn't need to move.

"The wallpaper is awful," she chuckled. "And the kitchen needs new cabinets."

"This porch needs new boards," he pointed out. "And the garage needs a new door."

"We can do all that," she insisted with a shrug of her shoulder. "Lucas, I think this is it."

"I think it might be."

"Really? Be honest with me. Just because I love it, that doesn't mean you have to," she said, shaking her head at him.

"I do love it. And I love that you love it," he said softly, kissing her quickly. "Let's make an offer."

"Luke!" she squealed, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

"I'm gonna negotiate a bit, so don't look so excited once we get back in there," he said seriously. "They should knock down the price a bit if I mention all the work we're gonna be doing."

"Mmm," she murmured, slipping her hand into his. "My baby, making deals."

"You're nuts," he chuckled and she just shrugged her shoulder. "Come on."

He really did adore that she was so excited. It was a huge decision, and he was thrilled that she wasn't scared or nervous about making it. She just wanted to live with him again. Well, she wanted to live with him again without his mother and a now four-year-old in the house.

As they walked back through the house and stood in the living room, Peyton only vaguely heard Lucas talking to the realtor.

She was busy visualizing the space. She thought of paint colours and furniture placement, and where they'd put their Christmas tree when the time came. She thought of how the room would look with their friends and family scattered around, sipping drinks and talking. She thought about how she and Lucas would lay together on the sofa and watch movies or nothing, and just be together.

And maybe she thought of their first child, and how maybe that baby's first steps would be in that very living room.

And that made her smile.

----

Peyton's dad, in town for a few days, came out to Tree Hill to look at his daughter's first real house. He could remember that feeling well, as he and Karen reminisced about later in the day. Owning your first home, and thinking about how many memories you'd make there.

He loved that Peyton would share that with that young man.

The little house was pretty much everything he thought she'd want in a home. In all her pictures she drew as a child, she drew two stories and a porch. She drew a dark front door and a little driveway, and a walkway up the front steps.

He was proud of her.

"So daddy, I was thinking..."

"Nope," he stated, shaking his head.

The two of them stood in the empty kitchen of the home they'd just had inspected. Lucas was away in Raleigh for a meeting for his novel, and so Larry had gone with Peyton while the inspector did what he had to do.

"You didn't even let me finish," she said, furrowing her brow. Larry crossed his arms over his chest.

"I know that when you call me 'daddy', it's either going to be expensive, or it's going to be manual labour," he pointed out, and she just rolled her eyes.

He was right.

"Well...nevermind, then," she said softly.

"What, Chicken?" he asked, trying to get her to open up. They both knew he probably would do what she was about to mention, if she was really asking.

"I thought maybe you could help Lucas with some of this renovating stuff," she said. "But he'll be fine. I just...it could help you two get closer or something."

"Honey, we're already close," he said. Something about the way he said it, and the smirk on his face, led her to believe that there was something he wasn't telling her.

"OK, what?" she asked hotly, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at him.

"We talk," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Every once in a while, he'll call me and we'll chat."

"I didn't know that," she said.

"I know," Larry said, laughing at her when she rolled her eyes.

"Well like...what do you talk about?" she asked curiously.

"You, mostly. School, his family, his book," Larry said nonchalantly. "We just talk."

"How come I didn't know that?"

"It was our little secret, I guess," Larry said, and they both laughed. "Now come on. Let's go to the hardware store, so you can start obsessing about paint colours."

"I don't obsess!" she protested as they started towards the door.

"Chicken," was all Larry can say. His tone suggested that she really couldn't - and shouldn't - try to argue.

She rolled her eyes and tossed him the keys to her old car, and he started driving away from the beach and into the little town he was really starting to like.

He stood back and watched as Peyton looked through the wall of paint colours, occasionally asking his opinion on shades of blue or red or white. If he was being honest, he didn't really care. Well, he cared, of course, that she was so excited and taking something so big so seriously, but as for the actual paint colours, he really wasn't all that interested. But it was important to her, so he made an effort.

Over dinner that night - it was just Karen, Lily, Peyton and Larry - he'd explain that the house was great and the paint would look amazing. Before he left that evening to drive home, he told Peyton to call him if she or Lucas needed help with anything.

She kissed his cheek and thanked him, but they both knew she wouldn't ask. They both knew that she didn't have to worry about Lucas and her father getting along.

Lucas came home later that evening, and he saw Peyton siting on the sofa in the living room with Lily tucked into her side, and Cinderella playing on the television screen. Lily was fast asleep, and Peyton was idly running her hand through the girl's hair.

"Hey," he said softly, walking over and kissing the top of Peyton's head. He rest his hand on her shoulder, and she placed her hand over his. "Where's mom?"

"She and Deb had to run to Tric. I guess there was a mixup with a shipment or something? Some sort of crisis, anyway," Peyton explained, tipping her head back to look at him.

"So you watched Lily?" he asked needlessly.

"Yeah," she said, as though it were the most natural thing in the world for her to take care of his little sister.

"Hmm."

"What?" she asked, her brow furrowed. He walked around the sofa to sit next to her.

"Nothing," he lied. "What'd you girls get up to?"

He noticed that Lily was wearing the princess dress Brooke had given her for Christmas, and he and Peyton shared a smile.

"We had some cookies and watched a movie. Well, she fell asleep after about 20 minutes," Peyton explained, and Lucas laughed. It seemed his sister inherited their mother's inability to stay awake for an entire movie.

"You could have put her to bed," he said softly, wrapping his arm around her.

"It's OK," Peyton said, looking down at the girl sleeping beside her. "I like sitting with her."

He could only smile and kiss her temple as he watched Cinderella get into her coach to be taken to the ball. He asked Peyton about her day with her dad, and he blushed when she asked him why he never told her he and her father spoke so often. She mentioned there were paint colours to discuss and he just nodded his head and said they'd figure all that out the next day.

Lily stirred somewhere near the end of the movie, and when she looked up and saw Peyton, she gave a sleepy smile.

"I'm ready for bed," the girl said innocently.

"I think you've been ready for a while," Peyton laughed.

"When did Lukey get home?"

"About a half hour ago," Lucas explained. "Come on. I'll tuck you in."

"I want Peyton," Lily said, throwing her arm around Peyton's midsection.

Peyton cast a glance Lucas' way, hoping he wouldn't be hurt by his sister's insistence that she didn't want him to put her to bed. He was smiling, and Peyton took that as a good sign.

"You sure?" Peyton asked for good measure.

"Uh huh. Come on," Lily said, taking Peyton's hand and standing from the sofa.

"Be right back," Peyton told Lucas softly. He just nodded his head and reached for the remote. She resisted the urge to laugh at his quick need to stop watching that Disney movie.

Peyton helped Lily pick out a sleep shirt - one with little fairies on it, on the girl's insistence - and brush her teeth. Lily begged for Peyton to braid her hair, and when Peyton tucked her in, the girl said she needed her teddy bear, which she'd left in the living room. Peyton went to retrieve Buttons the Bear, and Lucas just laughed and shook his head; Lily had been attached to that bear since she was old enough to carry it around by one leg.

"OK, all set?" Peyton asked, smoothing out the sheets. The night light was on, Buttons was tucked into Lily's side, her teeth were clean and her hair was braided, and she was snuggled up against her pillows.

"Yup," Lily said sleepily.

"'Night, Lily," Peyton said, leaning over instinctively to kiss the girl's forehead.

"'Night, Peyton. I love you."

Peyton nearly cried.

"Love you, too," she answered quietly. "See you in the morning."

She stood from the bed and walked to the door, pulling it halfway closed, just the way Lily liked it to be.

As soon as she walked back into the living room, she sat down on the sofa next to Lucas, and he pulled her close as he channel surfed.

She didn't mention what Lily had just said. She wanted that moment all to herself.

Lucas yawned after another hour. They were watching a movie on television that they'd both seen before, and neither was paying a ton of attention. She just looked up at him and he nodded. They didn't need words to decide that it was their own bedtime. It was early, but he'd had a long day, and she'd been excited about everything.

"Hey, Luke?" she said once they were laying in bed with the lights out.

"Yeah?"

"I love your family," she told him.

"I know you do," he said, moving a little closer to her.

"I know. I just...wanted you to know," she said simply.

"OK," he whispered.

He wasn't sure where that was coming from, but he was alright with hearing it nonetheless. It was clear - and had been clear for a long time - that she adored his family.

He didn't have to ask why he wanted that reassurance.

----

Peyton woke one day to an eerily quiet house. Eerily quiet.

There were no delicious food smells coming from the kitchen, as she'd grown accustomed to. There was no childish laughter filling the house. There was no television on in the living room. There were no footsteps. And most notably, there was no Lucas laying next to her.

There was a note where he should have been on the pillow, and she wiped her eyes before reading it.

_Peyton,  
Gone to the River Court with the guys. Back later.  
Love you,  
Lucas_

She assumed that Karen was at the café, and that Lily was either with her mother or with Haley.

She fully intended on going back to sleep. She was tired, and the house was quiet, and she had an entire bed to herself for the first time in a long time. She'd be crazy not to try to get another half hour of sleep, at least.

But when she rolled over to get comfortable, her eyes passed over the digital numbers of the clock on Lucas' side of the bed.

1:30.

How in the hell was it 1:30?

She turned quickly, effectively destroying the bed and wrapping the sheets around herself in the process, and reached for her phone off the table next to her to confirm the time.

1:31.

Dammit. If Lucas came home and saw that she was still in bed, she'd never hear the end of it.

She stood from the bed quickly, then started pulling up the sheets and fixing the mess she'd just made, making the bed. Yes. Making the bed would make it seem like she'd been up for ages.

She reached for a simple yellow sun dress from her suitcase. And no, the irony of living out of a half-packed suitcase was not lost on her, and Lucas didn't fail to point out that he didn't shout at her for leaving it in the same place the entire time they lived with his mom.

She was just about to pull off the sleep shorts and tee shirt of Lucas' that she'd slept in when she heard the door open behind her. She snapped around quickly, like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar. She let out a sigh of relief and closed her eyes.

"Oh. It's just you," she breathed out, dropping the dress on the bed.

"Great to see you, too, buddy," Haley teased, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her. "Lazy morning, huh?"

"Yeah. Something like that," Peyton mumbled. "What's up?"

"Are you pregnant?"

Peyton's knees almost gave out.

What? Pregnant? What the hell?

"What?" Peyton asked quietly. It seemed her voice wouldn't work. Maybe that's what happens when your boyfriend's best friend asks you an oddball question like that.

"I'm just asking. Bluntly, I guess. Sorry about that," Haley said with a laugh. "But...You've been sleeping a lot lately, which I'm guessing is what you were doing until about 10 minutes ago. And I've _seen_ you eat, and you're kind of all...glowy."

"Haley, please." It was all she could manage, and that wasn't much.

Now that it was all laid out there, not that Haley had taken a ton of time to explain, it all seemed like a possibility. A big, scary possibility that had her feeling sick to her stomach. Morning sickness? No. It was the afternoon. Of course, that didn't matter, and she really wasn't thinking straight. She couldn't be pregnant.

But if she was...

"Hey," Haley said reassuringly. "It's OK."

"I'm not pregnant," Peyton stated with false confidence.

Ironically, the only person who would know she was lying was the man whose child she may be carrying. Maybe that wasn't irony. Was it? Lucas would be able to tell her if that was irony or not. Why was she dwelling on these stupid things instead of what really mattered?

"You sure?" Haley asked delicately.

No. No, she wasn't sure. She assumed she wasn't pregnant. It had never crossed her mind. She hadn't even given any thought to it until that nosey little brunette barged through the door and mentioned it.

"No."

Damn her for not being able to _really_ lie. Not about the important things.

"I brought a test," Haley said, reaching into her bag.

"I can tell you're a teacher," Peyton mumbled.

"And a mother," Haley teased. "Always prepared." Peyton glared at her. "Too soon? OK."

"Give me the damn test," Peyton said. She yanked the box unceremoniously from Haley's hands, though the two of them shared a little smile.

And that smile from Peyton, Haley thought, told them both all they needed to know. Maybe she was pregnant, and if so, that was a huge deal. The hugest deal. But it'd be OK. She and Lucas weren't breaking up, and everyone knew that. They'd just bought a home. Lucas was making money. Peyton would surely start getting interest in her art.

And she'd be the _best_ mom. She was amazing with kids, and everyone knew it.

But she wasn't having one. Not now. Right?

Haley followed her down the hall and sat outside the bathroom door until it opened again. Peyton didn't come out, but Haley stepped in. Peyton was nonchalantly brushing her teeth, then she raked a brush through her hair and washed her face, all while that test sat on the countertop, waiting for those results to be read.

Haley assumed that either Peyton was really, really OK with the prospect of being pregnant, or she was 100 per cent positive that she wasn't pregnant.

"You're so calm it's making me nervous," Haley said from her spot, perched on the edge of the bathtub. "You could be having a baby."

"I really don't think I am," Peyton said, shrugging one shoulder. "Well, I didn't until you came over and demanded that I pee on a stick."

"The signs are there!" Haley laughed.

"I think you, Haley James Scott," Peyton started, pointing to the girl across from her, "are just trying to stir up gossip in this little town."

"I just really want Jamie to have a little cousin," Haley said, scrunching her nose in a way that Peyton was sure always allowed the brunette to get her way with Nathan.

"So you're fabricating pregnancies?" Peyton asked with a laugh. She picked the test up off the counter after glancing at the clock on the wall. "Negative. Told you."

"OK, really, even if you _thought_ you were pregnant, even a _little_ bit, you should have been freaking out," Haley said as they walked back down the hall.

"Why?" Peyton asked simply, stepping back into Lucas' bedroom. "I'm with Lucas. We're happy. We're moving into our house soon."

"You're not married."

"Not everyone gets married when they're 16," Peyton stated, raising an eyebrow at Haley, who rolled her eyes. "And...I dunno. I can't really say that having a baby would be the worst thing," she finished quietly.

Haley smiled to herself as she sat back on the bed, resting herself on one elbow. It was clear - and had been clear for a while - that Lucas and Peyton were probably going to get married and have kids someday. To think (or know) that day was coming soon and not years down the road was kind of nice.

And she really did want Jamie to have a cousin.

Haley could have sworn Nathan nearly passed out when he saw that pregnancy test in her bag that morning. He'd gone searching for her keys so he could move her car from where it was blocking his in, and he was white as a sheet when she came into the room.

He knew he was going to be late to meet the guys at the River Court, but they still had a conversation, much like some of the other conversations they'd had a lot over the last few months, about when to have another baby.

They decided that it was time.

And so maybe she thought it'd be fun if she and Peyton were pregnant at the same time. They weren't going to be, and that was OK. But it was still nice to know that the prospect of Peyton and Lucas having a child wasn't terrifying to Peyton.

"You wanna grab lunch or something?" Peyton suggested. "I just have to get dressed."

"How are you so...normal right now!?" Haley asked with a laugh. "Seriously, you really should be going crazy."

"If that test had been positive, I'm sure I would have been," Peyton stated, and they both laughed. "But...I need a burger or something. I wanted to try that place at the pier. You up for it?"

Haley could only laugh and shake her head as she stood from the bed. Peyton was a far stronger girl than anyone would probably think.

"I'll be in the car," Haley said, making her way to the door.

As soon as the door was closed again, Peyton put her face in her hands and let out all the anxiety she'd been trying to mask when Haley was sitting there with her.

But really? There wasn't all that much of it.

What she'd said was true. If she and Lucas were to have a baby, it would be a blessing, not a curse. That much she knew. And she knew, somehow, deep in her soul, that Lucas would be thrilled.

When she told him about Haley's suspicion and ensuing impromptu pregnancy test later that evening, he just laughed and shook his head. That sounded like Haley. He kissed Peyton's temple and said that he couldn't wait until they had a baby, whenever that might be.

The future with Lucas was never scary, it was always just _there_. A given that they knew would happen, and that they were already happy with.


	26. Chapter 26

Peyton was sitting on the bed in Lucas' room - she still refused to call it 'their' room, or 'her' room. It wasn't. It was Lucas' room, and she was just staying there. Lucas laughed and rolled his eyes every time she called it his room, and she just glared at him.

She was sitting cross-legged, with countless paint colours spread around her. She'd organized them by room, choosing several colour options for each space. She wanted things to match, but not be 'mathcy-matchy', as she said. Again, Lucas just laughed at her. She claimed he didn't understand that their house had to have a theme, and he just shrugged his shoulders and said that as long as he had a roof over his head, he wasn't asking for too much more.

"What about red?" she asked, picking up a deep crimson sample.

"Red?" he asked incredulously.

And for a guy who claimed he didn't care about paint colours, he sure as hell had a lot of reasons why certain shades wouldn't work.

"Yeah. For the bedroom," she elaborated. He looked up from his laptop at the colour in her hand, and he did his best - which apparently wasn't very good - to hide the reaction on his face. "What?"

"Nothing. It's just..._really_ red," he said.

"And what's wrong with red? My bedroom at my dad's place is red," she reminded him.

"Uh huh, and you were 16 when you painted it," he told her, smirking at her in that way he always did when he was certain he was right.

She kind of hated that smirk.

"Red's neutral."

"Red is not neutral!" he laughed. "Red is like, the _furthest_ thing from neutral."

"Well, then what are your genius ideas, Mr. Nay-sayer?" she said, putting a hand on her hip.

He should have known she wouldn't take that criticism well.

He stood from his desk and walked to the bed, looking at the countless colours in front of her. He looked through the samples, then through the stack sitting next to the bed.

"What are you doing?" she asked, horrified. "You can't deviate from the theme!"

He just scoffed at her and shook his head. Apparently, he didn't see anything he liked, and he walked to his bookshelf, pulling an old hardcopy off the shelf and dropping it on the bed in front of her.

"That colour," he said, pointing to the light grey cover.

"That's not a colour, it's a _book_," she mumbled.

She picked up the book and set it among the paint samples, and it matched the theme well. It was neutral, and it was unobtrusive, and it would match their furniture and linens.

She hated it when he was right.

"You like it, don't you?" he asked after a few moments, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Shut up," she whispered. He raised an eyebrow, and she groaned in what he knew was defeat. "Fine. It's perfect. Happy?"

"Are you?" he asked seriously.

"I'd be happier if you weren't so smug," she said, and he chuckled and leaned over to kiss her forehead before walking back to his desk. "Ooo! And our ensuite could be like...This colour!"

She held up a dark grey that he knew would go with their bathroom fixtures and the deep red towels and bathroom accessories they'd received from Brooke as a housewarming gift.

"Perfect, babe," he said, before turning back to his computer screen.

"Am I totally annoying you with this?" she asked worriedly.

"No!" he answered quickly. "No. It's just...I have a lot of work to do. I'm sorry. I love that you're so excited, but..."

"It's OK," she insisted. "I'm meeting Nathan for lunch in 20 minutes anyway, and I have to go."

"You and Nathan are having lunch?" he asked in shock. "Really?"

"Why's that so weird? We're friends," she said with a shrug as she tidied up her things and set them in the folder she had for her paint choices. She was so organized with that stuff that he could only smile.

"It's not weird. I just...didn't know you were hanging out, that's all," he said with a shrug.

But she knew there was more to it than that, and she smiled at the fact that he was trying so hard to downplay it. His eyes were fixed on the screen in front of him, and she knew that he was just doing his best to make her believe that there was nothing wrong.

"Luke," she said softly, crossing the room and settling herself onto his lap.

His arm made its way around her waist, and he smiled up at her. He loved when she said his name like that. It was as good as an I love you. Reassuring and sweet, and just about the sexiest thing she ever did.

"Hmm?" he questioned. He was so distracted by her sitting on his lap that he almost forgot that she was leaving and he had mountains of edits to make to his novel.

"Are you jealous?" she asked with a smile.

"I'm not jealous," he scoffed, looking away from her. She placed her palm on his cheek forced him to look at her. "OK. A little."

"He's your brother. He's practically _my_ brother. Not to mention, he's married and has a kid," she said. "It's not like..."

"No. I'm not jealous because I think you're going to..." His voice trailed, because he couldn't even say the words, and she stroked his cheek reassuringly. "I just want you all to myself, I guess."

She smiled and leaned down to kiss him, and he grinned when she rest her forehead against his.

"You're kind of cute, Lucas Scott," she said softly. He chuckled at her, and she kissed him quickly again.

She stood from her place, and he whined a little when she walked behind him. He really did want her all to himself.

She draped her arms over his shoulders, her head right next to his. Her hands found the keyboard in front of him, and on the blank document on the screen, she typed three little words.

_I love you. _

He kissed her arm, where it was right next to his lips, and she winked as she made her way to the door. She grabbed her purse off the dresser, and put on her sunglasses before turning back to him.

"I'll call you if my date with your brother runs long," she said, pulling the door open.

"Not funny!" he called after her. She just giggled and walked through the door, and he was left there, shaking his head.

But he printed that page with those three little words, and he found a frame, and he hid that framed little piece of 'art' in a box of his personal things. He had every intention of hanging that frame in their bedroom at their new home. He was sure she'd love it.

And the black frame would perfectly match the paint colour he picked, he thought as a smirk spread on his lips.

----

Peyton walked into the restaurant Nathan had picked - one she'd never been to - and quickly sought him out. It didn't take long. He was the one signing autographs and posing for pictures with a couple kids.

He waved her over when he was alone again, and she smiled as she sat down.

"Who tipped off the paparazzi?" she teased, and he rolled his eyes. "Sorry I'm late."

"No problem," he insisted. "What was the holdup?"

"Your brother," she said simply, reaching for the menu.

"OK. Ew," he said disgustedly.

"No! You pervert," she cried, glaring at him across the table. "He was...he didn't know we were meeting. He got a little...weird."

"Jealous?" Nathan asked with a furrowed brow. Peyton just shrugged one shoulder and pursed her lips. "That's crazy. You're _so_ not my type."

"Hey!"

"What? It's true," he said nonchalantly. "You're great and everything, but you and I? That'd never work."

"OK, not that I'm arguing with you at all, but...for curiosity's sake, why not?" she asked, and they both just laughed.

"Because we're both too damn stubborn for our own good," he said, and she nodded knowingly. "We'd just fight all the time. And you're all artistic and crap, and I can't even stand listening to people talk about paintings."

"Really?" she asked, as though that were the craziest thing she'd ever heard.

"And you have, like, no ass," he said, and her jaw dropped. "Now, Haley? She's got an _amazing_ ass."

"Well, you're...you're cocky and hardheaded and...Lucas is hotter than you," she said before looking back to her menu. She laughed at the blank expression on his face when she peered up at him again. "What? You wanna start talking looks, you have to be able to hear the truth."

"This, right here. _This_ is why we would never work," Nathan laughed. "This would be us, all the time."

"You're totally right."

"Of course, I'm right. Now let's order," he said. "And if you just get a salad, I'm never talking to you again."

She just laughed, and he smiled as she ordered a cheeseburger and fries. He nodded in approval, thankful that she wasn't the type of girl who was afraid to eat in front of anyone. He probably knew that about her already, but it was different when it was just the two of them, one-on-one.

He went on to tell her about Jamie's constant questioning of when he'd get to sleep over at uncle Lucas and aunt Peyton's new house, and Peyton explained that she was just as anxious to get into the new space.

Nathan offered to help move things in the following week when they took possession of the house, and Peyton laughed and told him they'd already counted on him being there.

He hugged her in the parking lot, and he told her that her classic old convertible looked great next to his Range Rover. She punched his arm, but he insisted he wasn't joking.

Peyton drove the distance back to Karen's with the top down, and the radio off. She just let her arm hang over the side of the car, the wind blow her hair, and the sounds of the little town - now her home - envelop her. She loved Tree Hill, she always had. But something about Tree Hill in summer was just amazing.

The air smelled of saltwater, and there were children running through sprinklers on their front lawns. Teenagers wore just bikini tops and board shorts, and men drove around with golf clubs in the backs of their cars.

She parked her car on the street, where she usually parked it, and had a chat with Lucas' 70-year-old neighbour, a woman who used to babysit him, once upon a time. Mrs. Miller explained that there were a few kids down the street selling lemonade from a little stand, and she smiled when Peyton took off in that very direction.

She overpaid the children, and they smiled like they'd won the lottery when she handed them the $5 bill and told them to invest the change. They giggled and told her they didn't know what that meant, and she laughed and said that it meant that they shouldn't spend it on candy.

When she stepped back into the house, Lucas was laying on his bed, reading from the very book he'd used as a paint sample that morning. He grinned sheepishly and set the book aside.

"What's that?" he asked, gesturing to the two cups in her hands.

"Lemonade," Peyton said, smiling as she dropped her things and kicked off her sandals. "I bought it from some kids down the street."

"Mmm," Lucas said appreciatively after taking a sip. "How was your date?"

"Well, we didn't run away together or anything, so, you know...not great," she teased, and he rolled his eyes at her. "It was nice."

She lay back on her elbows so she was facing him, and his free hand idly found her foot, gently massaging it while they both sipped their lemonade.

She really loved summer.

"What'd you talk about?" he asked.

"Jamie, you, Lily, Karen and Deb, Haley..." she rattled off. "Why he and I could never be a couple."

He almost spit out his drink. He did, a little bit.

"Lucas!" Peyton laughed as he wiped his chin.

"Excuse me. What?" he asked, shaking his head.

"We decided we're both too stubborn," she said with a shrug. "And he said I have no ass."

He looked at her and furrowed his brow. "And _why_ is he looking at your ass?"

"I'm assuming it's because he's a guy?" she suggested, as though it were just that easy. He nodded after a moment, then set his drink on the bedside table.

He moved towards her and took her drink from her, setting it somewhere on the floor next to the bed before settling himself on top of her. He brushed the hair from her face, and he felt her squeeze her thighs against his hips in that way he always loved so much.

"What else?" he asked in a low voice.

"I told him you're sexier than he is," she murmured.

"Really?" he asked with a smirk.

"Uh huh," she nodded. "And that I love you."

"Mmm." He brushed his nose against hers right before he kissed her, and his hand found her thigh, moving up until it was resting on her backside. "I happen to think you have a _great_ ass."

"Yeah?" she asked coyly.

But really, she was a girl, and that little, stupid, pointless insecurity had been nagging her from the back of her mind since Nathan had said the words.

"Oh, yeah," he said, smiling right before he kissed her.

They got a little caught up, though not too much so, and Lucas was just about to move his hand beneath his girlfriend's shirt when Haley, Jamie and Lily appeared in the doorway to his bedroom from the hall. They hadn't even heard the door open until they heard the giggles.

"Oh, God," Peyton mumbled, tipping her head back and looking at the visitors.

"You sure kiss a lot," Jamie said, making Haley laugh.

"Come on," Haley said, ushering the kids away form the door. "Let's wait out here in the living room!"

Lucas just laughed and dropped his head to Peyton's shoulder after Haley had pulled the door closed. Peyton ran her hands up and down his back a few times, and he rolled off her, knowing that if she kept touching him, he'd never want to leave that room.

"We _do_ kiss a lot," she said, turning her head to look at him. He laughed and turned to face her.

"Yes, we do." His tone indicated that it was something he was proud of; an accomplishment he was happy to have achieved.

"I can't wait until we have our own house," she said seductively, rolling onto her side and pressing herself against him. "Because then we won't have to worry about interruptions."

She laughed when she heard him take a sharp breath, and she kissed him quickly before standing from the bed and straightening out her top. She checked herself in the mirror, brushing her fingers through her hair, and she could see Lucas laying on his bed behind her, unabashedly looking her up and down.

"_God_, you have the _best_ ass," he said, not at all joking.

She winked at him in the mirror, then ran her fingers through his hair as she walked past him and into the hall.

He really, _really_ couldn't wait until they moved into their own house.

----

Peyton was shaken awake in the middle of the night, just a couple days before she and Lucas were set to move. She was fast asleep, curled up in one of Lucas' tee shirts after an evening of eating ice cream and chasing three year olds around on the beach, and she was very rudely woken.

"Hmm."

"Peyton, baby, wake up," Lucas whispered into her ear.

"Uh uhn."

His hand found her waist, and he pushed up the fabric of the tee shirt she was wearing. His rough hand caressed her smooth side until he heard her take a deep breath, and when she rolled onto her back and looked up at him, she smiled a sleepy smile, despite how much she hated being woken. And she had to smile, because her boyfriend was just so hot. Even when his hair was a disaster.

"Hi," he said with a smile.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Get up. I'm taking you somewhere," he told her, kissing the tip of her nose before standing from the bed.

"What? Luke, it's 3:30 in the morning," she reminded him.

"You trust me?"

Dammit.

She grumbled as she stood from the bed, and as he switched the light on, he thought he might had heard a curse word in there, too. She pulled his tee shirt up over her head and threw it at him, raising an eyebrow when their eyes locked. She pulled on a tank top and a pair of jeans, and she reached for one of his hoodies from his closet. It was an old grey one that he'd told her he had forever, and the first time she'd seen the back of it, she knew why it was special. As soon as she pulled the shirt over her head, he leaned over and kissed her temple.

They stepped out of the house and started down the steps towards his car, but he took her hand in his and started walking down the sidewalk. It was then that she noticed the thermos and two mugs he had tucked into a bag, slung over his shoulder.

"What are we doing?" she asked after a block. He was surprised they'd made it that far without a question.

"Nothing crazy," he promised.

And that was all he'd say.

She didn't ask again, though she was itching to and he could tell. They just walked in silence, talking softly and holding hands as they strolled through dark, empty streets. They walked right down the center of the road, just because they could.

When they ended up at _their_ house, Peyton looked at him with wide eyes.

"Luke, we can't be here," she hissed.

Sure, the house was empty, but they didn't have their keys yet, and it wasn't legally theirs yet. Lucas had to laugh at the slightly horrified look on Peyton's face.

"We aren't going in," he insisted. "Come on."

He took her hand and led her to the little path a few houses down from theirs that led right to the beach, and then they walked so they were sitting on the surf in front of their house.

The truth was, he just couldn't wait to spend time there with her, and sure, they'd watch the sun rise for the first time as homeowners, and that'd be great.

But this was different.

This was him making a memory that neither of them would ever forget. Who knew when that first sunrise would actually be? They'd be exhausted from moving, and neither would wake up in time. They'd be busy, then things would start rolling with his novel, and he just wanted to make sure they had some calm, quiet moments to hang onto.

They sat down on the sand, and he poured them each a cup of coffee and pulled out a few pieces of biscotti for them to nibble on. She just shook her head at the thought and planning he'd put into what she had thought was a spontaneous excursion.

She sat between his knees, and they sat as close as they could as they listened to the tide go out and watched the moon bounce off the waves.

"You want to tell me what all this is about?" she requested after they'd finished their first cups of coffee. He was pouring more, and he just smiled.

"Romance."

She didn't question him, because that was just the most perfect answer she could have imagined.

She reached for his hand and placed it over her racing heart, and he rest his head on her shoulder.

"That's what you do to me," she said softly. "There's no other...I don't know how else to say it."

He kissed her cheek, and wrapped his arms a little more tightly around her, and then he pulled back to whisper in her ear;

"I love you, too."

He explained his motives for taking her to the beach that morning, and as they watched the sun come up over the ocean.

And her heart was racing again.

He wasn't surprised when she rest her head against his arm and he felt her drifting off. He just kissed the side of her neck, and that had her awake again and reminding him not to start something he couldn't finish. They hadn't been together since they moved in with Karen - OK, once in the back seat of his car, one other time in the back seat of her car - and it was getting really difficult to not have that alone time.

He looked back at that house, and she felt him turn behind her. She giggled in his arms and told him to be patient.

"We've got a lot of years ahead of us in that house," she told him.


	27. Chapter 27

Peyton had traveled to Wilmington the night before their move after receiving a desperate call from Brooke saying that she and Jake had to attend a memorial service for a friend of Jake's family, and they had no one to watch Jenny. Larry was away, and obviously Jake's parents weren't available. Peyton insisted that it was fine, and that she would drive out to take care of the little girl.

Lucas had insisted that he would go with her, but Peyton claimed that she wanted to spend a little time with Jenny one-on-one, since she hadn't really done so since the summer before. He just smiled and said that he understood, and told her to call him if she needed anything.

The night had gone well. She and Jenny ate french fries and chicken fingers, and then sipped root beer floats for dessert - that treat had always been their 'thing' - and watched Beauty & The Beast. Peyton inwardly laughed, thinking about how many Disney movies she'd watched with the kids in the previous weeks.

It wasn't that late when Brooke and Jake returned home, and so when they offered for her to spend the night, she told them she'd just drive back. It was only a half hour drive, after all.

But there was an accident on the main road that led from Wilmington to Tree Hill, and she was forced to take a detour. It wouldn't have been so bad if the detour had been marked, or if the man who told her to take it hadn't spoken with such a thick German accent.

She got lost. Really good and lost. She didn't want to call Luke, knowing that he'd just worry and fret until she made it home. So, she drove dark back roads with her radio on low, searching for any signs or indicators of where she was.

And of course, it was that night that her car broke down.

She was just rounding a corner on a poorly-paved road next to a lake, when the engine started to sputter and smoke, and her heart jumped into her throat. This was the stuff of horror movies, and she hated every damn second of it. Why hadn't she just taken Lucas with her? Why hadn't she just spent the night?

It was dark out, and she refused to get out of her car. She reached over to lock the passenger side door, then the driver's side, and then she pulled her phone out of her purse and dialed Lucas' number.

"Hey, babe," Lucas answered nonchalantly. "You on your way?"

"Sort of. Not really," she managed. She really shouldn't have been as scared as she was.

But she was _terrified_.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly upon hearing her tone.

"My car broke down, and I don't know where I am. There was an accident on the highway, and I had to take a detour, and I got lost, and I'm scared," she rambled.

"Hey, hey," he cooed reassuringly. "It's OK. I'll come get you."

"I don't know where I am!" she cried.

"Calm down, baby," he said sweetly. He was just as scared as she was. He didn't want her to know that. "How long have you been driving?"

"I dunno. Maybe 10 minutes on the main road, and about 25 on back roads," she explained.

"OK. Where are you right now? What does it look like?" he asked, reaching for his keys and heading out the door as he spoke to her.

"Um...there's a lake, or a river...water of some sort," she said. "And it's just around a curve. I'm on a wide gravel shoulder."

"OK, good," he said with a smile. "You have your lights on?"

"No!" she proclaimed. "I'd rather not draw the psychos to me, Lucas!"

"There are no psychos, Peyton," he reassured her. "I'll be there in 10 minutes."

"10 minutes? How do you know!?"

"Because I know exactly where you are," he said. He was already driving down the street in her direction.

"You do?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes, and you're going to tell me all about your evening with Jenny until I get to you," he said.

She closed her eyes and let out a breath of relief. She had known Lucas was amazing - obviously - and she had known that he always looked out for her. She didn't know how he could have her going from frantic, to almost unreasonably calm in a matter of minutes. It was clear that just the idea of his presence could make her feel at ease. She loved that.

She started talking to him, telling him all about her night, and how Jenny had asked how Lucas was doing. She laughed when he told her that Lily pouted when he told her that Peyton was spending the night with Jenny. He'd teased the little girl about being jealous, but explained that Peyton would be back soon. Peyton said that maybe she, Lily, Haley, Brooke and Jenny could have a girl's only sleep over at the new house when things were all set up.

"Lucas, there's a car coming," she said worriedly. She'd completely lost track of how long it had been, engrossed in her conversation with him. She came to realize that was exactly what he'd set out to do.

"Peyton, that's me," he laughed.

He vaguely heard her tell him to shut up right before she hung up the phone. When he pulled up in front of her and she saw that it was him, she jumped out of her car and flew into his arms so quickly that he had to catch his balance.

"OK, you're alright," he murmured, stroking her hair as he pulled away a little. "You sure scare easy."

"Shut up!" she cried, swatting his shoulder with a little too much force. "Sorry you had to come all the way out here."

"You think I'd just leave you here?" he asked with a smirk. He kissed her gently, and she relaxed a little more.

"My hero," she replied dryly.

"Hey. I am," he stated boyishly.

"You kind of are," she said softly before kissing him again. "Come on. This place is creepy."

"Hey, wait," he said, grasping her wrist and pulling her back to him.

"What?"

"We're all alone out here," he pointed out.

She just looked at him for a moment, then her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped.

"Lucas, I am not...we're _not_." She whispered the words for no reason whatsoever.

"Could be fun," he said enticingly, circling his arms around her waist.

"I think we've had enough back seat sex to last us a while," she told him, raising her brow.

"Who said anything about the back seat?" he murmured in her ear.

She pulled away a bit, her back arching as she looked at him with shock on her face.

"Lucas Scott, what exactly are you asking me to do right now?" she inquired. There was a bit of an amused smile on her lips to match the boyish one on his.

"Nothing you don't already secretly want to do."

"You seem pretty confident about that," she said with a chuckle.

"Come on. Moonlight...riverbed...stars in the sky," he said between kisses to her neck. "Boyfriend kissing the place on your neck that you love."

"Mmm." She smirked, though he couldn't see her. "You really think that's all it takes, don't you?"

"What more do you need?" he asked.

"Tell me you love me."

"That's all?" She nodded her head gently. "Then I love you, Peyton Sawyer."

And then she kissed him like she really already secretly wanted to.

----

The next day, they were both absolutely exhausted. They hadn't gotten back to Karen's house until far too late, and though they'd thoroughly enjoyed themselves, they realized quickly as they tried to lift boxes, that it probably wasn't the greatest night to stay out late.

But when Lucas asked Peyton about it, she looked at him pointedly and told him she didn't regret a thing.

Haley was tasked with arranging for Peyton's car to get towed while Karen looked after the kids at the café, and Lucas, Nathan, and Jake carried furniture and heavy boxes. Peyton and Brooke started painting. The bedroom was first, since Lucas insisted that the bedroom furniture was the easiest to store in other parts of the house until the walls dried. Peyton thought that was pretty much the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard, but she didn't argue with him.

When Haley showed up, she grabbed the paint Peyton told her to, and started on guest bedroom. The three girls drove the guys crazy as they carried on a conversation, essentially shouting at each other between the two rooms.

Karen sent her delivery boy with lunch for the kids at the house, which was devoured quickly by the guys, and considerable slower by the girls. Nathan just insisted they needed to keep up their strength, and Jake and Lucas scoffed at the notion that Nathan was out of shape or easily tired.

Once all the furniture and boxes were unloaded from the truck, Nathan quickly insisted that he wasn't lifting another finger for at least two days, and he and Haley left after being thanked profusely. Jake said that he didn't mind helping, and he and Lucas set a date to get started on replacing the kitchen cabinets.

When it was just Lucas and Peyton alone together for the first time in their house, she brought him a glass of ice water on the sofa in their completely destroyed - well, box-filled - living room.

"Thanks, babe," he said, taking a sip from the glass.

"This is our house," she said after a moment. "We own a house."

"Yeah." He kissed the top of her head and looked around the room. "Where are we gonna sleep?"

They both laughed. They hadn't thought that far ahead. The paint in their bedroom wasn't dry, and it probably wasn't safe to sleep in there with the fumes, and the spare bedrooms were packed with boxes and furniture from other rooms.

"Miss Sawyer, would you like to sleep on the living room floor with me tonight?" he asked cordially. She peered up at him with a smile on her face before settling back into his arms.

"I'd be delighted, Mr. Scott."

Lucas heaved and huffed and puffed as he moved their mattress and lay it out on the floor, and Peyton resisted the urge to laugh at him. She knew he was no doubt sore from the day of heavy lifting, but she was sure he was exaggerating at least a little bit. Peyton grabbed a few blankets and a couple pillows, and she drew the blinds that Haley had hung for them. There were a few candles burning, and the windows at the back of the house were open, letting the fresh ocean air and the rolling sound of the waves flow into the house.

"I think I'm dying," Lucas groaned as soon as he laid down.

"I think you'll survive," Peyton chuckled.

"No. Dying."

"OK. On your stomach," she commanded.

"Excuse me?" he asked with a raised brow.

"Roll onto your stomach and I'll massage your back. I mean, if you can move that much," she teased.

He was on his stomach in record time.

Then she disappeared up the stairs, and he was practically whining her name, but she just told him to relax. She knew he loved to receive a massage, and he was like a dog with a bone when she mentioned it. He wanted it then and there. Waiting was torture.

She changed into her pajamas, just a pair of little shorts and a tank top, and reached for a little something special before heading downstairs.

Lucas moaned a little when she straddled his back, but it wasn't one of pain. But after a few moments she wasn't touching him, and he turned his head to see her rubbing her hands together.

"What are you doing back there?" he inquired. "What's that smell?"

"Patience!" she chided, making him chuckle. "It's massage oil."

"Are you kidding me?"

"No," she said, shrugging one shoulder, though he couldn't see. "I got it the other day. It's coconut."

"Like your shampoo?" he asked.

"Yeah. Same company," she said as she began running her hands over his back.

"So I'm going to smell like you?"

"You probably already do," she laughed. "Why? Is that a problem?"

"I need another reason to think of you all day long?" he asked, using that tone of voice she always loved.

She didn't say anything in response, just leaned down and placed a kiss to the back of his neck before she went to work on a particularly tough knot between his shoulder blades.

They stayed like that for a while, just talking and listening to a little music, and her massaging his back in, according to him, exactly the way he needed it.

"I feel like this should be leading somewhere," Lucas said after a while.

"Excuse me?" Peyton said incredulously. She didn't necessarily appreciate the insinuation that she wasn't doing enough for him.

"No!" he said quickly. "No. I just mean...It's our first night in our own house, and we're alone for the first time in weeks."

"But we're both exhausted and ready to pass out?" she asked and he laughed. "Yeah."

"I'm so glad we're on the same page," he said, shifting to indicate that he wanted to roll onto his back. She lifted herself up just enough so he could do it, then she was straddling his waist. "Because...I mean, if you asked, I couldn't say no, but..."

"If I _asked_?" She planted a hand on her hip and raised one eyebrow, and he closed his eyes when he realized how that sounded. "You really think I can't resist you, don't you?"

"Can you?"

"Not really," she admitted, and they both laughed.

"I can't resist you either, but..."

"Shut up. It's not happening tonight," she said with a chuckle, and he nodded his head. "Let's get some sleep. We have a long day tomorrow of you moving things around and me being patronizing and telling you where everything goes."

"Sounds fun," he said sarcastically as she climbed off him. She blew out all their candles and turned off the music before laying down on their makeshift little bed beside him.

They were quiet for a while, each silently trying to get used to the new space and the sounds that came with it. She lay with Lucas' arm draped over her stomach, just like he usually did. She could tell he was still awake, and he'd move his thumb over her side every once in a while. It was a move that, on any other night, would have had her moving closer and starting something they'd both enjoy. It just wasn't that night.

"I can't believe you convinced me to buy a house with you when I haven't even known you a year," she said, and he let out a breathy laugh.

"You love me," was his only response.

"But still."

"Still what?" he asked. "That's what people do when they fall in love and graduate school and want to be together. It's natural."

"Luke, nothing about our relationship has been natural," she said, shaking her head.

"Sure it has."

"How do you figure?" she asked, turning on her side.

"Friends first, slow build, kiss, love, and so on and so forth," he explained quickly.

She didn't have a rebuttal for that. He was kind of right. She just figured that since everything had moved so quickly that it was an odd relationship, but he was absolutely right. As usual. She hated that. But it was true.

"Goodnight, Luke," she said softly, and he just kissed her forehead and smiled to himself.

He loved winning those silly little arguments.

----

Brooke and Jake came to town with Jenny in tow, and Jake helped Lucas install the new kitchen cabinets while Brooke and Peyton painted the walls in the dining room and living room. Jake and Brooke joked, wondering what kind of special powers Lucas had that made Peyton 'settle down'. Peyton took exception to that, and glowered at Jake for a good two hours until he apologized.

All their little renovations were close to being done, and Lucas and Peyton had taken over one of the spare bedrooms as an office. Peyton turned one half of it into a studio to work on her paintings, and Lucas turned the other into a comfortable area where he could write and work on editing his novel.

The sun was high in the sky, and Lucas was working away, replacing the boards on the back porch. He was in just a pair of jeans that were now paint stained and well-worn, since he'd taken off his tee shirt when he'd gotten too hot.

Peyton stood at the back door of the house watching him work. There was something about him - skin glistening, jeans slung low on his hips, and a pencil tucked behind his ear - that she was finding damn near irresistible. Actually, _everything_ about that was making him _absolutely_ irresistible.

"Hi," she said, leaning against the doorway.

"Hi," he echoed, glancing up at her briefly before going back to his task.

"You OK? It's super hot out," she pointed out. Her concern may have been more believable if she wasn't staring at his ass as he bent down to pull up another board.

"I'm alright. But yeah, it's hot. Could you grab me a bottle of water?" he requested, still not looking at her.

"Why don't you take a little break," she said. He finally turned to her and wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.

And that's when he saw 'the look'.

And he was powerless to 'the look'.

He stood, put his hands on his hips and raised his eyebrow, and she just gave him a little smile.

"A break, huh?" he asked.

"It really is hot out," she said as he walked towards her. "And you're all..._sweaty_, and...I'm just worried about you."

"Is that it?" he asked, deadpan, in response to her trying to downplay her request that he come inside. He'd seen how her eyes raked over his torso, and the way she said the word 'sweaty' certainly didn't carry a negative connotation.

"I'm just concerned," she said. She sent him a smile since she knew she'd been found out.

"Sweet of you," he growled, pushing her back into the house.

He kicked the door shut behind them and walked her backward towards the living room, barely touching her until they got to the sofa. He hooked his arm around her waist as they lay down with him on top of her, and he felt her hands travel up his back.

"You are so sexy right now," she murmured as she felt his hand reach between them to work the buttons of her shirt. He leaned down to kiss her before saying another word. "You're always sexy."

He chuckled softly at her need to modify her statement, and he kissed her once more when she pulled him back towards her. He groaned when she shifted her hips against his, and he had just undone the last button of her shirt when they were _very_ rudely interrupted.

"We're engaged!" Brooke squealed, stepping through the front door. "And...blinded!"

"Brooke!" Peyton yelped. "Can't you knock?"

And that was the problem with Brooke and Jake living in Wilmington to live full time and Tree Hill being so close. Normally Peyton wouldn't think it a bad thing for her best friends to drop in unannounced, but Brooke just had the worst possible timing that day.

"Didn't you hear me? Engaged! To be married!" the brunette continued, ignoring Peyton's question. "To Jake! Your other best friend!"

"And I'm happy for you, Brooke, but..." Peyton said, her voice tailing. Lucas was still laying on top of her, and his hand was still caressing her hip. It was almost as though he was hoping Brooke would get the message and leave them alone in their home.

"But nothing. Put your shirt back on and celebrate with me," Brooke whined, all but stomping her foot like a child.

"Hate you," Lucas mumbled, glaring at Brooke. She just rolled her eyes and scoffed, then Lucas looked back down at Peyton. "We need to start locking the doors."

"Go jump in the shower, babe," she said softly while Brooke tapped her toe.

"A cold one, now," he grumbled, getting up from the sofa. He walked to Brooke and kissed her on the cheek. "Congratulations, Brooke."

Neither girl knew that Lucas had already known that Jake was going to ask Brooke to marry him. Lucas had gone ring shopping with Jake a couple weeks earlier, in fact.

"Thank you," she said sincerely, raising her eyebrow as both she and Peyton watched him head for the stairs. "Seriously? He's like...a god or something."

"The day you get engaged, you're eyeing my man?" Peyton asked incredulously.

"Well, _sorry_! He's strutting around all half naked and shiny! You can't blame a girl for looking," Brooke said.

"Show me the ring!" Peyton demanded as she laughed.

**----**

**A/N:** Next chapter will be the last one...


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: **This is it. The end of the story. Thank you all so, so much for reading, and for your wonderful reviews. I hope you enjoy the ending.

**----**

Between wedding plans, Lucas working on his novel, Peyton helping Deb and Karen book bands and manage Tric, and getting settled in the house, the next month was incredibly busy.

Peyton and Brooke spent every free second together, going over details for the wedding that was taking place in November. Brooke insisted she wanted a fall wedding, and Jake was willing to give her whatever she wanted. Lucas would laugh every time Peyton came home from a dress fitting or a day of shopping for cakes or flowers or place cards. She'd flop down on the couch next to him and swear up and down she was never getting married.

The smile on her face as she'd cuddle up with him told him that she wasn't serious.

Lucas stepped through the door of the house one day and heard Peyton talking angrily into the phone. He'd left before she was awake, and he was really hoping her current mood had little or nothing to do with the fact that he hadn't told her where he was going or when he'd be back.

"No! I said _one_ set...Yes, it's a Saturday, but we've got two bands...No, it's not a double booking!...Well I'm sorry you feel that way, but I think you need to remember that you're amateurs. Consider the fact that the audience crosses over. You could build your fanbase!"

Lucas stepped gingerly towards the kitchen, hoping to slip past her unseen. She turned when the floorboards creaked, and he offered a sheepish smile. She raised her hand to rest against her forehead and turned back around.

Dammit. He was pretty sure she wasn't pleased with him.

"Well, I need to know by this Thursday, so if you're going to back out, call me by then. If not, you're on at 10:00," she said before hanging up the phone. She let out a frustrated noise and set the phone down harshly on the counter as she stepped into the kitchen.

"Hi."

"Where were you? Why are you wearing a tie?" Her tone was more curious than angry, and he let out a soft sigh of relief.

"I had a meeting."

"A meeting you didn't tell me about. Interesting," she mumbled.

"I didn't want to wake you," he insisted.

"Well, was it last minute, or just a big secret?" she asked. He almost smiled. She was so cute when she was mad.

"I didn't want to tell you until...Well, until I had something to tell," he said. He took her hand and they sat at the table in the kitchen. "I met with the athletic department at the high school."

"OK...?"

"I interviewed for the head coaching job," he told her. His voice was quiet, like he was sorry he hadn't told her sooner.

"Lucas!" she cried. OK. So she was happy again. "Well? What'd they say!?"

"They asked how Nathan was," he said seriously, and she looked at him sympathetically. "They also said that I can start in September."

"Luke!" She leaned over and wrapped her arms tightly around him, and he just laughed as she wound up sitting on his lap. "You got a job!?"

"Yeah, I did," he said, just before she kissed him.

"That's amazing. Even if you lied to me about it," she said, raising her brow.

"I didn't lie," he said. "I...omitted details."

"Either way."

"And you know? You shouldn't really talk," he said, his tone warning. "Because I'm pretty sure you didn't tell me that Deb offered to invest in the gallery that I didn't even know you wanted to open."

"Oh. Right. That," she said softly, nibbling her bottom lip in what she hoped was a cute way.

And it was. Of course it was.

"How come you didn't say anything?" he asked gently. "You know I support you."

"That's why," she said, making him look at her in confusion. "Luke, you're...you're _so_ good to me. You think I can do anything. I just...I needed a business opinion to tell me the idea wasn't crazy. If I could _really_ do it."

"You can," he insisted, kissing her softly. "Right? Why else would Deb offer the money?"

"Yeah. I'm just...weighing some options," she said.

"What does that mean?"

"It means...God, Luke, I have like, a half a body of work. I'd either need to find other artists, or bust my ass and get some more paintings done. Maybe both."

"So you'll do both," he said with a smirk. "Peyton, you know you can do this. I'll help you however you need me to."

"Because you'll have so much time between being a published author and a head coach?" she asked, raising her brow at him. He blushed and bowed his head. "I'll talk with Deb."

"You were going to anyway, weren't you?" he asked.

"Yeah. But...it's good to know you're with me on this."

"With you on everything, babe," he said slyly, and she kissed him again. He moaned when she shifted in his lap so she was facing him.

Yeah, they loved having their own house.

She'd just undone his tie and was starting to work the buttons of his shirt when the phone rang.

"Leave it," Lucas insisted, kissing her neck. She had no intentions of answering. Not when he was unbuttoning her shorts and had his other hand buried in her hair.

He'd dipped his hand down between them, making Peyton whisper his name, when the answering machine picked up, and Brooke's voice flowed through the house.

"Peyton? Peyton if you're there, pick up. Whatever you're doing, drop it and answer the phone...Dammit, you're not there. OK. Well, they double booked the reception hall." Peyton pulled away from Lucas and looked at him apologetically as Brooke kept talking. He sighed and closed his eyes, but nodded to her, granting permission to take the call.

Peyton picked up the phone and started talking as she buttoned her shorts again, and Lucas wrote a message for her on the little chalkboard they had tacked up next to the back kitchen door.

_I'm not finished with you yet._

She winked at him when she read it, and he kissed her forehead before starting towards the stairs.

He really, really wished Brooke had better timing.

----

Nathan was working out on the River Court, shirtless, as always. Peyton was actually starting to wonder if the guy ever wore a shirt between the months of June and September. She drove up and saw him there after receiving a text from him, telling her that if she didn't give him a little one on one friend time, he was going to be really pissed. She just shook her head, grabbed her keys, and told Lucas she'd be back in a bit. She had a date with his brother. It had become a running joke between the two couples.

"Hey," she called out as she stepped out of her car. Nathan walked towards her, but she held her hand out. "Don't even think of touching me when you're so disgusting."

"Disgusting!? They call this work, darlin'," he said with a smirk, gesturing to his glistening torso.

"Surprised you haven't started charging admission at this place. People'd pay to watch you play with yourself," she said, and they both started laughing hysterically. "Stop laughing! I so didn't mean it like that!"

"You have got one _dirty_ mind, Sawyer," he said once his laughter died down. He grabbed his towel off the bleachers and wiped his forehead and chest before taking the ball and driving towards the basket again. "So what's up?"

"You're the one who threatened me. What's up with you?"

"Nothing."

"You know what's kind of cute?" she said with a chuckle. "You and Lucas make the same face when you're trying to lie."

"I just have a little news to share," he said, unable to hide his smile.

"Haley's pregnant!"

"How'd you know that!?" he asked with wide eyes. He'd been so excited to tell her! Haley was with Lucas at the same time, telling him the news.

"Just a guess. Are you serious? Is she? Am I gonna be an aunt?!"

"Well, if you marry Luke, you will be," he said with a laugh. He was pretty sure that 'if' should have been a 'when', but he didn't say as much. "Yeah. She is. 7 weeks."

"Congratulations, Nate," she said sincerely, rushing forward and throwing her arms around him. "Ugh. You're so gross."

"Worth it?" he asked knowingly.

"Absolutely. Daddy to be. _Again_." He smiled widely, and she just shook her head. Then her complexion paled. "Oh, God. Brooke's going to have a fit! Haley's dress is going to need to be redesigned!"

"Well...too bad for Brooke," Nathan laughed. "And there was something else I - we, me and Haley - wanted to ask you."

"What's that?"

"Well, Jamie...I mean, we never really picked a Godmother for him, since Haley doesn't really trust any of her sisters, and we weren't too close to any girls when he was born," he said. Peyton started tearing up a little, knowing where that conversation was headed. "So, we were wondering...Since Luke's his Godfather, and you're so good with him. Jamie, not Luke. Well, you're good with Luke, too, but...Whatever." She laughed a little at his rambling, and he smiled at her. "We'd like for you to be Jamie's Godmother, is basically what I'm getting at. Which I'm pretty sure you figured out already, since you're bawling like a girl."

"I am a girl," she said tearfully. "_Of course_, Nathan. I'd be honoured."

"Yeah? Because you don't have to say yes," he said, and she swatted his arm as she wiped her tears. He'd known she'd say yes, of course. "And it's all just symbolic anyway."

"Shut up! Don't downplay it. I'm...I'm a mentor to your son," she said, semi-teasingly. She wouldn't take the job lightly, and he and Haley must have known that.

"Which basically means that you'll spoil the hell out of him and let him listen to the music Haley won't let him hear," Nathan said, and Peyton shrugged innocently. "Which is basically what you do now, so...You're all set."

"Come on. Put your shirt on and buy me lunch," she said, laughing as he followed her to her car.

"_I_ give _you_ good news, and I'm buying lunch?" he asked incredulously.

"Dude, I'm unemployed and you make millions of dollars a year. You're buying me a damn lunch."

He couldn't argue. He wanted to. She'd found a space for her gallery, and she was close to opening. He, Lucas, and Jake had been called in to paint the place while the girls had shopped for furniture and...whatever the hell else they'd bought to go in there. She was still a couple weeks away from being open, but Nathan was pretty proud of her for following her passion. He knew how good that felt.

When Peyton got home from her afternoon with Nathan, Lucas just smiled at her. It was clear Haley had told him about everything.

"They're having a baby," she said in awe as she settled into his arms.

"Kind of amazing."

"I love babies," she said softly.

"Yeah?" he asked, as though he had no clue. He kind of didn't. He knew she was great with kids. He didn't know she _loved_ babies. He was kind of happy to hear it.

"Yeah. I do," she whispered. "Sorry. I'm probably freaking you out. I'm just...kind of emotional with all this baby and Godmother stuff."

"You're not freaking me out." He kissed her forehead and she smiled. "You still amaze me sometimes, you know that?"

"Well, I should hope so," she laughed. "It's not like we've known each other 25 years."

She pulled away from him as he chuckled and shook his head.

"I just mean that...Well, I mean what I just said. I don't think that's going to change. Even in 25 years," he said. She kissed him quickly, then stood from the sofa.

"OK, you big softie. We have to go to Wilmington to sample wines for the wedding."

"What? Why?"

"Because_ I _have to go, and you're my boyfriend, which means that _you_ have to go," she said, grabbing the front of his tee shirt and pulling him closer once he'd stood.

"Which means that I'm not tasting anything, and I'm your designated driver," he stated incredulously.

"That's what I love about you, Luke. You catch on _so_ fast." She patted his cheek a couple times, and he just laughed at her as she turned away and disappeared into the kitchen.

As he waited for her to return, all he could think was that the girl he met at the beginning of the school year probably would have run through the door and never turned back if things like babies and 25 year commitments were alluded to.

She wasn't that girl anymore. She was _his_ girl now, and his girl knew she was loved enough that all those big ideas actually sounded pretty good.

----

Peyton walked up to the house one Friday evening after working late at the gallery. The assistant she'd had to hire after an insanely busy first month had called in sick that day, which left Peyton having to conduct meetings with buyers, answer phones, and handle any walk ins. She had stayed late to finish up paperwork on a couple sales, and all she wanted to do was sit on the sofa with a glass of wine in her hand while Lucas made dinner. He didn't know he was supposed to yet, but he'd find out soon enough.

When she walked in the house to see Lucas, Lily, and buttons sitting on the sofa, and Lucas with a Dr. Seuss book in his hands, she realized her night would be very different than she'd expected.

But she wasn't complaining. Not one bit.

"Peyton!"

"Hey, Lil!" Peyton said, kicking off her heels and dropping her purse. "What are you doing?"

"Lukey's reading about a turtle."

"Yertle? That's one of my favourites," Peyton said, and Lucas shot her a wink. That was why he was reading it in the first place. "Where's your mom?"

"She had a d-a-t-e," Lucas said, raising his eyebrow. Peyton's jaw dropped, and he could tell she was dying for the gossip. How come they were just hearing about this date now?

"Oh _really_?" she asked, using a goofy voice that made Lily laugh.

"Mhmm." Lucas found his place in the book again, and Lily peeked over to look at the pictures. "Dinner's on the stove for you when you're ready. We already ate. _Someone's_ tummy was rumbling." He pointed to Lily and the girl just giggled again.

Peyton noticed Lily's little overnight bag sitting on the bottom step, and she looked back to Lucas.

"This is a _sleep over_ d-a-t-e?" she asked with wide eyes.

"Peyton," he groaned. "That's my mom you're talking about."

"She's a woman! She has needs."

"Peyton!"

She just laughed as she walked into the kitchen.

She was midway through her meal when Lucas set Lily up with a movie and went to talk to his girlfriend for a few minutes. She was sitting at the table with the latest issue of B. Davis magazine in front of her, flipping through the pages as she finished her dinner.

"So what do we know about this man?" she asked, searching for any news she could get. Lucas was about to ask her how her day went, but it was clear she didn't want to tell him.

"A lot, actually. They used to date. His name is Andy. Great guy," he explained. "I guess he came into the café a couple weeks ago and they've been talking again. She didn't tell us because she didn't know what was really going on."

"That's so sweet that he never got over her," Peyton said softly. "Your mom's a catch, Luke."

"OK. Stop talking about her like she's a girlfriend," Lucas laughed. "There are things a son doesn't want to know."

"Your mom kind of is my friend." He smiled and she shrugged one shoulder. "I want her to be happy."

"Me too, babe," he said. He stood from his place and kissed the top of her head before reaching for a juice box and a bottle of water from the refrigerator. "I have to get back to Snow White. I can never keep the dwarfs straight."

"Grumpy, Sleepy, Doc, Dopey, Bashful, Sneezy, Happy," she recited quickly. He just stared at her, then turned to go back to the living room, leaving her laughing at the table.

She went upstairs and changed into a comfortable pair of pajamas, pulled her hair into a ponytail, and washed her face. She quickly returned an email to Brooke about something - not surprisingly - wedding-related, then she walked back downstairs. She took her place on the sofa so that Lily was between the two adults, and the three of them sat as close together as they could as they watched Snow White tuck the dwarfs into their beds.

Lucas watched as Peyton draped her arm around the little girl that sat between them, occasionally stroking Lily's hair or giggling at something on the screen. He wasn't really paying attention to the movie at all. He was, after all, a grown man; watching a Disney movie wasn't his preferred activity for a Friday night.

And with his incredible girlfriend sitting so close to him, he really couldn't concentrate on anything other than her.

"Lukey! " Lily reprimanded. "You have to watch. This is the best part!"

"I'm watching," he chuckled.

"No. You were looking at Peyton," Lily rebutted. "Peyton isn't a princess."

Peyton just laughed and ruffled Lily's hair, and Lucas reached for the blonde's hand, bringing it to his lips.

"She's _my_ princess," he said softly.

Peyton really shouldn't have loved that cliché as much as she did. Her man had all the right words.

That night after they tucked Lily into bed, she kissed him on the sofa and told him she loved that he was such a romantic.

----

"Peyton! Please!"

"No, Brooke. I am not indulging you," Peyton said adamantly, shaking her head. "I'm not feeding into your craziness."

"It's not crazy! You're Jake's best friend. It's not unheard of for the groom's best friend to go to the bachelor party," Brooke rationalized. Except even she had to know that it wasn't rational at all.

"It is unheard of when the groom's best friend is a girl! There's _no_ way I am going."

"Don't you want to keep an eye on Lucas?"

"Don't try that. There is _no_ reason for Lucas to be looking anywhere else, thank you very much," Peyton said with a raised eyebrow. "And you're not crazy enough to think you need anyone to keep an eye on Jake, either. I mean, all this wedding stuff might have you a little off your rocker, but come on."

Brooke huffed and crossed her arms and turned her back to Peyton, just like she used to do when they were kids and Peyton would do something to make the brunette mad, like paint her toenails black or something.

"We aren't best friends any more until _you_, Miss Maid Of Honour, can find a way to ensure that my husband-to-be doesn't get an inappropriate lap dance from some skanky stripper!"

Haley walked into the house just in time to hear 'skanky stripper', and she stopped in her tracks, shaking her head quickly, as though that would help her comprehend just what kind of a conversation she walked in on.

"Brooke wants me to crash the bachelor party to make sure Jake behaves," Peyton explained quickly.

"So just have the bachelorette on the same night, and then she can't do anything about it," Haley said, shrugging her shoulder as she tossed a piece of melon into her mouth. Haley always had a way of explaining things that made them sound like the simplest, best, most obvious ideas in the world.

"Brilliant. That's what we're doing," Peyton insisted. Brooke just pouted more. "I'll talk to Lucas. He's not a big drinker anyway."

"And besides, as the best man, Luke's sole job is to make sure the groom gets to the ceremony. Even if that means pulling him out of a strip club or handcuffing him so he can't jump out of the car on the way to the church," Haley said with a laugh.

"You're _not_ helping," Brooke said, her eyes narrowed. But there was a little smile on her lips.

"You're being ridiculous!" Haley cried. "Seriously. If Jake wanted to hook up with 'skanky strippers', he probably would have done so before he proposed."

"Not helping!" Brooke shouted, throwing her hands up.

"OK. Bridezilla needs something to calm her nerves," Peyton said softly, pulling a face at Haley.

Lucas later that day - begged shamelessly by Brooke - promised that he'd ensure that Jake behaved himself. When she turned her back, he shot Peyton and Haley a look as if to ask if Brooke had lost her mind. They both nodded.

The parties took place on the same night, two weeks before the wedding. The guys went mellow. They didn't even go to a strip club or anything crazy. They went to a pub in Wilmington and drank beer and had a few shots, and they talked about...well, whatever they wanted to talk about. Nathan and Haley, and Lucas and Peyton were staying overnight with Brooke and Jake, and the guys were a little surprised - and maybe a little scared - when they got home before the girls.

When Peyton crawled into bed with Lucas around 3:30 in the morning, he woke up and looked over at her. It was clear she'd had a couple too many. Her face was flushed and she had that little grin on her face that she always got after a few drinks.

"Hi," she said softly. "You're home early."

"No," he laughed. "You're home late."

"I don't want to know what you guys did."

"We just drank beer and talked," he admitted, as though it surprised him, too. "What'd you do."

"Oh," she said. She wouldn't meet his eyes and he got suspicious.

"What? Tell me."

"Well, Haley and I kind of thought...you know, since Brooke was all worried about the whole stripper thing..."

"Peyton Sawyer," he said with an amused smirk when her voice trailed. "What did you do?"

"We maybe went to a strip club and took lessons," she said, scrunching her nose adorably as she waited for his response.

It was clear he was speechless. He cleared his throat when she started laughing softly.

"You...hmm...what?"

"We thought it'd be funny for Brooke to learn. And it was. _So_ funny."

"And...how'd that go?" he asked. He really didn't know what to say about all that.

"She pouted because I was better than her," she said, settling into his side.

She could only laugh when he muttered a curse word and took a deep breath, and when he told her that she had better show him her moves, she made him a promise so sexy that he was wondering if they could just leave and drive home without telling anyone.

----

The ceremony went perfectly. Peyton and Haley, and Lucas and Nathan stood on either side of their friends, and watched as Brooke teared up saying her vows. Peyton teared up a little bit, too. The rings were exchanged, the first kiss had everyone clapping, and then they were filing out of the church.

The weather held out - sunny skies and just a little bit of a breeze - for photographs, and then it was on to the ballroom at one of the city's nicest hotels for the reception. Dinner was served and toasts were made that had everyone either laughing or crying - sometimes both - and then the Champagne was brought out.

Lucas took Peyton's hand and led her to the dance floor, her chocolate brown satin dress flowing down to her knees, and her loose curls flawlessly falling around her face. Lucas knew that no one was supposed to look more beautiful to the bride, and though he'd never tell Brooke, Peyton certainly did. To him, anyway.

They took their place on the floor next to the newlywed couple, and they began swaying to the music.

"Remember the first time we danced together?" Lucas asked with a smirk.

"Yes," Peyton grumbled. "It was because of these two that time, as well."

"Quit complaining," Jake interjected, smiling as Peyton glared at him. "I like to think I was the mastermind behind your whole relationship."

"Not quite," Lucas laughed before turning back to Peyton. "I think Lily takes that title."

"Yeah, she does," Peyton said softly.

In her mind, she was thinking how a year had gone by so quickly. And how that year had been the happiest one of her life.

She pressed a gentle kiss to his lips just as she saw the flash of a camera go off, and she smiled to herself. That day was certainly going to produce a ton of photos of the two of them together.

"Hey, Peyton?" Lucas asked quietly.

"Hmm?" She pulled away a little bit to look into his eyes, and she saw them sparkling back at her. She didn't know what he was about to say to her, but she kind of liked the way his eyes looked in that moment, whatever it was.

"You think we'll ever get married?" he inquired, a shadow of a smirk on his lips.

"I dunno," she said, unable to hide her grin. "Maybe if I find the right guy..."

"Come on," he laughed. "I'm serious."

"Most guys just propose if they want to know," she pointed out with a raised brow.

"Are you saying you'd say yes if I asked?"

She knew he wouldn't - Brooke would kill him if he did - but she half expected him to drop to one knee right then and there.

"You know the answer to that, Lucas," she all but whispered, looking away from him. He tilted her chin up with his index finger and looked at her pleadingly. "Of course I'd say yes."

"OK," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Yeah?" she asked timidly, holding him a little tighter. He just smiled and nodded his head gently as his eyes met hers.

"Yeah."

_**-Fin-**_


End file.
